Baird joins board as president promoted

Baird & Warner, the country’s longest-running family-owned brokerage, has introduced a sixth generation of leadership to its board. Lucy Baird, daughter of President and CEO Steve Baird, has been named chief stewardship officer and vice chair of the board.

She has been involved with the brokerage for 10 years, serving as the firm’s historian and head of Good Will Works, its philanthropic initiative. Her expanded responsibilities are part of a governance strategy to sustain Baird & Warner’s independence and family-owned business model, which allows independence in decision-making.

Steve Baird said, “In contrast to Wall Street-backed firms, our independence allows us to make decisions based on what is best for our agents and their clients.” He added, “We are not thinking in terms of quarters, but generations.”

Lucy Baird called the appointments “a natural progression” after supporting the company’s charitable work for the past decade. She said, “I feel a deep responsibility to honor the legacy my family has built over more than 170 years.”

The company has also promoted Laura Ellis to chief revenue officer. She has been with the firm for nearly three decades and most recently served as Baird & Warner’s chief strategy officer and president of residential sales.

The expanded role gives Ellis oversight of all sales operations across brokerage, mortgage, and title. She said, “One of the things that makes Baird & Warner unique is how intentionally we bring all aspects of the transaction together to support both our agents and their clients.”

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Steve Baird noted that the timing of the appointments reflects the changing real estate landscape. He said, “Now more than ever, the values of independence, accessibility of leadership, and doing the right thing are necessary in our industry, which requires mitigate risk to succeed.”

The appointments are part of the company’s efforts to advance its integrated model and strengthen collaboration between teams. They aim to build a more seamless and supportive experience that helps their agents succeed.

According to the company, the new roles and the people filling them exemplify the values of independence and doing the right thing. These values are applied in ways that are relevant to the challenges agents and brokerages are facing today.

The company’s commitment to its guiding principles is reflected in its philanthropic initiative, Good Will Works. The initiative is focused on supporting the local community and promoting the company’s values.

In the real estate industry, family-owned businesses like Baird & Warner are rare. The company’s ability to maintain its independence and family-owned business model is a testament to its strong governance and leadership.