Celebrating Associate Appreciation Month with Pierce County commercial realtor Linn Larsen
September 28, 2023
More than two-thirds of BIAW’s membership consists of associate members. We honor their vital roles in the homebuilding industry every September with Associate Appreciation Month.
Many of our associate members are subcontractors providing expertise on everything from electrical, plumbing and drywall to flooring, paint and tilework to exterior paint, landscaping and roofing. Associate members also support the building industry as suppliers, real estate professionals, mortgage brokers, title companies, marketers, insurance companies, accountants and more.
Key contributors
Associates are a vital puzzle piece of our industry and a key contributor to our nation’s GDP. Their significant contributions make our industry go round.
Linn Larsen of Linn Larsen, LLC, Commercial-Industrial Realtors in Tacoma, is a prime example of an associate member who has made significant contributions to our industry. Larsen has lived in the Tacoma area for most of his life and began his career as a commercial realtor there just shy of 50 years ago.
“I couldn’t stand the thought of getting a ‘real job,’” he said. “The banker who gave me my first loan to buy my company stopped me in the doorway after he agreed to the loan and said, ‘If this doesn’t work out, I expect you to get a real job and pay the money back.’ Out of fear of having to go to work at a ‘real job,’ I stuck with it.”
Larsen’s company specializes in industrial real estate acquisition, sales, leasing, consulting, and development services around Puget Sound. His extensive experience and time in the business have earned him a reputation for solving problems and giving sound advice.
“Linn is just so helpful and a real go-getter,” said Master Builders Association of Pierce County Communication Director Bailee Butcher.
Giving back to the industry
A long-time member and the 2022 Second Vice President of Master Builders Pierce, Larsen says the most significant value he finds in his membership with Master Builders Pierce, BIAW and the National Association of Home Builders is the opportunity to give back to the industry.
“I absolutely love the wonderful achieving, progressive and enthusiastic people who are members of Master Builders Pierce,” he said. “I have a heartfelt appreciation for those who have taught me aspects of developing land and making good decisions that benefit so many. One of my greatest joys is having people thank me for recruiting them.”
Larsen has served as a director at BIAW and several committees at Master Builders Pierce, including membership, awards, finance, executive, and the associate advisory council. He donates annually to the Hammer Club and is consistently one of their top recruiters. He also sits on the Lakewood Planning Commission, giving the building industry a voice on a very influential panel in Pierce County’s second-largest jurisdiction.
For his hard work and years of dedication to our associations and the homebuilding industry, Larsen was presented with an Associate Appreciation Award from BIAW’s Associate Advisory Council at BIAW’s 2022 Fall Board Meeting. Associate Appreciation Awards are given each year by BIAW’s Associate Advisory Council to associate members who give back to our industry at the local, state, and national levels.
Learn more about Linn Larsen, LLC, Commercial-Industrial Realtors at www.linnlarsen.com.
* This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue of Building Insight magazine.