Our purpose at Windermere Group One is to be a real estate brokerage that sets the bar for excellence. Through our actions, we demonstrate Care for our clients, fellow agents, and community. We believe our Integrity is what sets us apart, but also brings us together; we have Integrity and hold ourselves to our word. We feel Communication is paramount to success, and we believe Knowledge is not only something we gain but something to be shared. We value Commitment and understand our Commitment is our promise, our promise to you.
Fifty years ago, Windermere set out to change an industry. To build a company that put relationships before sales quotas. To better our communities and change lives. We set out to create a brand based upon teamwork and trust. We are proud to share that same community and relationship-focused service with the Tri-Cities and Eastern Oregon! The ownership group for our company started in October of 1996. Our goals and philosophies were and still are today, to hire the best people, provide them with the best tools to do their job, and create an atmosphere of working together to provide value to our customers.
We accepted the opportunity to grow by becoming our own office, Windermere Group One/Tri-Cities in October of 2010. Our decision to become Windermere Group One has brought much success to our clients, agents, and the community. All due to our dedication to exceeding our client’s expectations and a promise to better the communities in which we live. We are a locally owned company with all decisions made right here. We are committed, under the Windermere umbrella, to providing the very best customer service available.
Our management team has two responsibilities; you, the client, who comes first, and our second responsibility to each of our professional Realtors. When your interests are in front of our interests, great things happen for all of us. Your Windermere Group One Realtors® are committed to our communities. Serving on boards, committees, participating in fundraisers, even selling newspapers on street corners for the annual Kids Day event. We invest our time and money into our local community, and we are dedicated to helping build a great community and a great place to live. Windermere is about building relationships. We believe in the ability of our agents, staff, and management to create relationships that go beyond the ordinary, and that makes a difference in people’s lives.
If you hang around us long enough your bound to hear, once or twice, dedicated to unlocking the power of ownership. It’s easy to think our motto is all about real estate and achieving homeownership, but it’s grown to be much more. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of owning your own life, being able to wake up and do what your passionate about versus what you must do to get by. Wealth plays a big factor in the ability to own your own life, and we know real estate can be a valuable tool to help you build personal wealth. Our dream is to help others unlock the power of owning their own life as many of our staff, Realtors, and clients have been able to do. Real estate is our vessel to help you achieve that goal. Owning a home is sometimes the biggest investment one can make in their life; it’s one of the primary needs we all have — food, clothing, and shelter. So, while the real estate industry may change over time, it won’t be going away. Getting to be a part of one of the most significant investments in someone’s life is essential. It’s important to us as a company and to each of our agents. There are no words to describe getting to be there when a first-time homebuyer picks up their keys for the first time and walks through the front door of their home. It’s an unbelievable joyful moment, and It’s in that moment that you can catch a glimpse of the power behind ownership, hence where our motto was born. Unlocking the power of ownership means we want to help you find and purchase a home, and we want to help you build personal wealth. Ultimately so that you can experience the power behind owning your life. One of the many ways we see our motto at work each day is to give our Realtors and full-time staff ownership in the company.
Jeff Thompson, the founder of Windermere Group One, was inspired by Larry Kendall, a real estate business owner in Fort Collins, Colorado. Jeff met Larry in 2004 and was immediately drawn to his company’s business model. This model is not like the traditional real estate company model. Traditional models charge agents a percentage of their commissions and offer graduated splits based on production each year or charge a flat monthly fee. In Larry’s model, the broker partners with agents who function as owners in the company. With the traditional model, the owner cashes the profit checks, writes the expense checks, creates policy and procedures; literally, and figuratively the buck stops with them. At Windermere Group One, agents/owners will share in that process as well as develop company values and recruiting processes. The partners make up a board of directors helping to set policies and procedures. Giving our Realtors® and staff ownership has allowed us to build a culture of excellence and cooperation. A strong commitment to education and professionalism is a critical factor in our business plan. Our founder, Jeff Thompson, says, “Everyone brings a unique set of skills to the table. We all have the responsibility to share innovative ideas and expect the best from one another every day. Our success depends on our knowledge, professionalism, and commitment to our core values.” One Purpose-One Team is a testament to the commitment of everyone in the company helping each other achieve financial independence and a secure future.
Our full-time Realtors® are experts in our real estate market, and our entire team strives to create smooth, worry-free transactions for you throughout your real estate journey. We are committed to being there every step of the way with you. We do real estate our way, let us show you The Windermere Group One Difference.
