Windermere has banner year

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — For 95 years, Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty has stuck by its motto of wanting to do well by doing good in the community.

The year 2016 was an example of that philosophy holding true, with a company record $474 million in closed residential and commercial real estate transactions and 1,900 homes sold.

"It was astonishing," said Don "Pepper" Smock, company president. "2016 was the biggest year in our company's 95-year history of serving the citizens of North Idaho. When the real estate market is good, everybody celebrates."

Sales weren’t the only feat the company celebrated at its annual Agents Celebration Award Meeting attended by 200 at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn on Thursday.

This year the Windermere Foundation will reach the $1 million mark for assisting area nonprofits such as Children’s Village, TESH (which provides employment opportunities to adults with disabilities), Safe Passage (formerly North Idaho Violence Prevention Center) and food banks.

"The money we give is altruistic," Smock said. "If the people who started this company looked 95 years into the future, I believe they'd be pleased to see what we've done in the community."

Smock called being in business for 95 years an "almost impossible achievement." Only seven brokers have led the charge with the company during that span.

"How many companies have been in business for 95 years? And, with it being a real estate company, it's just a unique story," Smock said.

Matthew Gardner, chief economist for Windermere Real Estate, told agents 2017 should continue to be great for the real estate industry and that it's not in a bubble.

"I thought (the outlook) was quite optimistic," Smock said. "Our fundamentals in North Idaho are rock-solid."

Smock said he wouldn't be surprised if 3,000 new people move to Kootenai County in 2017.

"There's a mega-trend of aging Baby Boomers moving," he said. "People want to live here."