RE/MAX of Michigan History

RE/MAX® was a new and relatively unknown entity in the area when Norman and Elda Helm, Co-Regional Founders of RE/MAX of Michigan purchased their region in 1977. They were among the earliest RE/MAX pioneers, and as with most entrepreneurial undertakings, there were no guarantees of success, but Norman Helm was convinced that RE/MAX was a way to incorporate the professionalism and high standards that he believed had been largely missing from the Michigan real estate industry. The new Co-Regional Directors set out on a journey that would lead them to be one of the most successful companies in Michigan's real estate industry.

Norman Helm passed away in 1995, followed by Elda in 2022. In 1994, Michel Metzner joined the company, became Regional Director in 1999, then Regional Co-Owner in 2006 and currently leads the organization as Regional Owner.

Today, RE/MAX of Michigan boasts eight employees and encompasses more than 87 offices and nearly 1,300 Sales Associates in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, with the exception of the Metro Detroit area.

The RE/MAX Balloon

For more than 45 years, RE/MAX of Michigan has touted its brand in the skies Above the Crowd®. With a fleet of four 70' hot air balloons and two 24' cold air balloons, RE/MAX of Michigan can be seen in the air year-round throughout the state at events and rallies, including The Battle Creek Field of Flight Balloon Festival, Jackson Hot Air Jubilee, The 2012 World Hot Air Championships and the Midland Balloon Festival.

Each RE/MAX of Michigan office is given at least one free flight per year (depending on agent count) to have a balloon event of their choosing. Those events are often used as fundraisers within their neighborhoods, giving thousands of dollars of support to vital non-profit agencies and community needs.

The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon program is one of the most effective and positive advertising promotion and public relations tool ever created. We're proud of the program and happy to bring it to our communities.

Regional Training

In addition to access to RE/MAX University, RE/MAX of Michigan provides exclusive state-of-the-art technical training to its Sales Associates via a certified continuing education initiatve.  Courses are offered on site, online, and via webinar and video, bringing the latest updates in lead-generation software, social media, electronic devices, and other tools that will help today's home sellers and buyers through the skills learned by the RE/MAX of Michigan agents. RE/MAX of Michigan also provides New Agent Tools for Success classes, Admin and Personal Assistants' training, Broker/Owner training/coaching, and a wide variety of nationally renowned speakers and presenters at the RE/MAX of Michigan Regional Conference and Fall Sales Conference each year.

RE/MAX International

Who We Are?

What began in Denver, Coloraodo in 1973 as "a pad of paper and a dream" is now a global real estate franchise network that spreads across 55 countries and four territories, on five continents. Along the way, RE/MAX has fundamentally changed the way the real estate industry conducts business.

Network Size

The revolutionary RE/MAX Concept of enabling real estate professionals to maximize their business potential has evolved into an organization of more than 100,000 Associates in more than 7,000 offices worldwide.

• Over 1 million transaction sides per year.
• Open offices surpass 7,000 in more than 50 countries.
• Over 5 billion North American TV advertising impressions.
• Entrepreneur: RE/MAX best in real estate.

RE/MAX Associates

As a group, RE/MAX Associates lead agents of competing companies in experience, education and production. They average more than 13 years of real estate experience and, across the network, hold a higher number of professional designations than agents of any single competitor. The average RE/MAX Associate out-produces competing agents three to one.

The RE/MAX Balloon Logo

The red, white and blue RE/MAX Balloon, with its "Above the Crowd!®" slogan, is one of the most recognizable business logos in the world. With more than 80 RE/MAX Hot Air Balloons around the globe, RE/MAX has the world's largest balloon fleet.

50 Years Above the Crowd

RE/MAX - now an established industry leader - has been helping people meet their real estate goals for over three decades. Young in years but mature in experience, RE/MAX looks ahead to even greater development and success in its next quarter century.