Industry's action man is in it for love.

He has crewed for an around-the-world hot-air balloon expedition, competes in the 24-hour Daytona International Speedway, is a qualified commercial pilot and NASCAR driver, but RE/MAX co-founder and chairman, industry action man Dave Liniger, says he has no intention of ever following in the reality TV footsteps of contemporaries such as Donald Trump or Richard Branson.

"I suppose I have a little bit of celebrity status having a company this size and I'm popular within the company," says the REBAC Hall of Famer. "But I have no interest in reality TV--I don't even watch TV."

Except, that is, when it's his own satellite television channel--the RE/ MAX Satellite Network--which first began broadcasting its training programs for RE/MAX agents in 1994.

Being the subject of a new book, "Everybody wins: The Story and Lessons Behind RE/ MAX" is "ego satisfying" enough for the one-time broker who is credited with doing more than anyone in the real estate industry to improve the working environment and income potential of sales agents.

The book charts the phenomenal rise of RE/MAX, from its humble beginnings to one of the world's top high-growth, high impact companies, rivaled only by McDonalds.

Authors Phil Harkins and Keith Hollihan provide a behind-the-scenes account of the company's revolutionary business model that has fuelled 380 straight months of explosive growth.

"It was originally going to be on several companies," explains Liniger, who admits he was initially reticent to become involved in the project, but became convinced by the authors' insistence that the story of the company's growth could provide a template for many other creative business people.

"We made our staff available and invited them to attend our convention and the end result is that, instead of a chapter on RE/MAX, it's now a book on RE/MAX."

Now in the midst of a 40-city speaking tour to present an educational program and promote the book among RE/MAX brokers and owners, Liniger says he made a commitment years ago to remain "in the field," and in touch with his employees.

With 100,000 brokers and owners worldwide, that keeps him pretty busy.

"I travel 270 days a year for the company, teaching business planning, promotion, time management. We have advertising committees, sales meetings. All of the agents have my email and, if I don't get back to them the same day, it's always within a day or two.'

Cut from the same cloth as the likes of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, and McDonald's pioneer, Ray Kroc, Liniger admits he tries to emulate those industry leaders who refused to sit in an office and issue orders. In the early days of his company, he even went without pay to keep his dream alive.

"Growth was very slow in the first five years and we spent five years trying to get 300 agents. It took us 25 years to get the first 50,000."

At the current rate of growth, 50,000 more agents are expected to join the company within the next three years. RE/MAX now has offices in 53 countries worldwide, is number one in such diverse nations as South Africa, Portugal, Ireland and Canada and, according to Liniger, there's no sign of the RE/MAX juggernaut slowing down.

"There's no doubt we'll have 250,000 agents in the next 10 years," he says.

While the majority of offices continue to operate on the maximum commission philosophy that RE/ MAX has pioneered, the company has tried to fit in with local cultures. For example, in some socialist European countries, agents are paid a minimum salary but are provided with government benefits and cars.

"In some countries, we have to be somewhat conservative and blend in," said Liniger, "but the concept is still the same. We emphasize professionalism on the part of the sales associate, as well as experience, and the bigger we become, the easier it gets."

Indeed, the latest figures show that international RE/MAX franchise sales are setting new records. More than 898 have been sold during 2004, breaking the 2003 record of 745.

"In addition to the 100,000 independent real estate associates, RE/MAX offices around the world employ approximately 30,000 support staff," said Daryl Jesperson, CEO of the company and one of the core team of RE/MAX pioneers.

Liniger himself doesn't apologize for his faith in the idea that turned the industry on its head. "I always knew we'd be big. I've been with my banker 20 years and he always reminds me of when I told him we'd have 80,000 associates. He wrote on the back of an envelope and showed it to his colleagues and they laughed. But I always knew it was a system that would work."

"When you compare us with companies like Coldwell Banker, Prudential, Century 21, we are the only company that's never had a management or ownership change. Here we are, 32 years later, and the four key individuals who built the company are still involved."

Although most brokerage houses have changed their commission structures from the old 50/50 split to more attractive compensation packages and most top producers now earn on the 80/20 ratio, RE/MAX' size and brand name retains its tremendous advantage over its rivals.

Although high operating costs have forced the company to alter its commission structure from 100% to 95%, Liniger says the firm continues to attract top brokers.

"Today, most offices are 10 to 20,000 s/f and we can easily invest half-a-million dollars in technology. When we started the company, we had nothing to offer except commission and today we have a relocation company, we're the number one brand--sales associates can still make more money with us."

With the mom and pop real estate offices that populated the nation 10 years ago all but gone, with one small exception, RE/MAX has not bought its way to the big time, although that's something Liniger sees changing.

"What we are seeing is that offices have become incredibly successful but are still too small to go public and too large to be bought."

With a large group of RE/MAX owners coming up for retirement in the next few years and in need of an exit strategy, Liniger expects that, RE/MAX itself will be the most likely buyer of its franchises.

But there will always be room for them in the global family that is RE/ MAX. Liniger sees no end in sight to the burgeoning housing sector and predicts prices will continue to soar with affordability being the biggest problem for the next generation of home buyers and space the hurdle of developers.

Liniger himself has no plans to retire. "I would pay to have my job," he boasts. "I love coming to the office, I love the people I work with and I don't believe in retiring. This is a fascinating company and most of us are in it for the future.

"I now have 100,000 top producers in my company and can meet with them constantly--that, to me is the essence of success."

The energetic leader believes in being passionate about your job but, nevertheless, stresses time management is vital in an industry where the burn-out rate is high.

Although he admits he often doesn't schedule enough time for his family and friends, Liniger says he does relish the time he gets to spend with his wife, Gail, and four grown children from his first marriage.

"I have three sons and we love fishing, motorboats, race cars, motorcycles--all the regular things."

"But we made a deal when they were born that I would never allow them to be in my company.

"We struggled so hard in the beginning, I made a commitment to everyone who struggled along with me that any promotions within the company would go to the people who built it and not to someone from a lucky gene pool."

"Anyway, it's very hard for young adults to follow in the footsteps of a successful business person, everyone's expectations are too high. They're much better off in their own business."