When John Jacobi founded Windermere Real Estate in 1972, he had a vision for the way real estate should be handled: Anticipate and respond to the real estate needs of buyers and sellers, and support the communities you serve. What he didn't know is that he would also significantly change they way real estate is practiced. This began with the purchase of an eight-agent office in the Seattle neighborhood of Windermere. The company has grown exponentially each year since, setting the benchmark for the practice of real estate nationwide.

Windermere pioneered an aggressive commission structure, offers unique agent benefits and was the first to have a searchable database of homes on its Web site.

Because of these innovations and paradigm shifts, Windermere has grown to become the leading real estate company in the West, building on its commitments to professionalism, integrity and service to the communities it's a part of. The Windermere network now has more than 200 offices serving communities in Arizona, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

The Realty Alliance and REAL Trends, two leading industry organizations, have recognized Windermere Real Estate as the top regional real estate firm in the United States.

Hire the best people. Give them the best tools. Create a professional approach. This founding philosophy of Windermere has been implemented through the introduction of new programs that have set industry standards and given agents the knowledge they need to meet the needs of buyers and sellers.

The Best People
Windermere's sales force is the company's greatest asset. Windermere's associates include experts in all areas of real estate. While residential real estate is the mainstay of its business, Windermere also has offices and associates who specialize in new construction, commercial real estate, relocation and property management. To further facilitate the home buying process, Windermere has affiliated resources in certain regions to provide mortgage, title and escrow services.

The Best Tools
Windermere's structure allows offices to operate independently while retaining the benefits of being associated with a respected brand-benefits such as advertising buying power, agent benefits and powerful technology tools. At the same time, agents are intimately familiar with their local communities, allowing them to provide knowledgeable and high-caliber real estate services tailored to the client's needs.

As part of the Windermere network, agents may also take advantage of a variety of programs and innovative services including technology, marketing and education that they can put to work in their local market. These innovative tools allow them to serve homebuyers and homesellers in a way that is unique to Windermere.

Community Commitment
Supporting the communities Windermere serves has been a core element of the company's formation and growth. As a company born and raised in the Puget Sound region of Washington state, Windermere sponsors the annual Windermere Cup Regatta, which is a premier rowing regatta featuring teams from around the globe. Windermere also sponsors similar community events in other regions, including the Windermere Collegiate Crew Classic in partnership with Stanford University.

Windermere Foundation: Since finding homes for people is Windermere's business, fighting homelessness is a natural fit for the Windermere Foundation. Through the creation of the Windermere Foundation in 1989, Windermere provides housing and services for homeless and low-income families throughout the West by funding nonprofit organizations dedicated to the same cause. Every time an agent completes a transaction, a donation is made to the Foundation, and Windermere agents and employees also contribute to the fund individually.

Community Service Day: Windermere's 6,000 agents in its offices around the West spend one day each year away from the office to participate in the annual Windermere Community Service Day. The agents decide on a community-based project, and provide hands-on assistance for the day.