Gordon Gundaker, President and founder of Gundaker Wardley GMAC Real Estate, heads a staff of 2,000 licensed associates and over 160 employees working in 30 sales offices throughout the metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri area. Established in 1968 the Gundaker organization has grown from a single small office, to it's current status as the largest residential sales organization in the history of St. Louis real estate, involved in nearly one-third of all Realtor transactions in the area. The company now records twice the business of its nearest competitor, reporting over $3.5 billion in sales volume in 1999, and ranked by two national publications as among the ten largest independent owned residential real estate companies in the United States.

Raised in the modest St. Louis suburb of Vinita Park, and graduated from Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) in 1953, Gordon began his real estate career at age 20 selling homes for local builder Frank Zykan in suburban St. Louis. In 1956 he joined the John J. Armbruster Company, and for the next eleven years was their leading salesperson. He was offered a vice-presidency of this dominant real estate company, and later, in 1964, a part-ownership in the company. In 1967 Gordon was recognized by the Real Estate Board of Metropolitan St. Louis as the top residential Salesperson in the area, with sales volume that year of $2.5 million.

In 1968 Gordon left the John J. Armbruster Company to launch his own firm, with a modest $10,000 in capital, and a staff of three: Gordon, his wife Donna--who acted as secretary and bookkeeper --- and one sales agent. By the end of his first year he had hired eight full time people and was on the brink of opening a new office. A short time later Gordon entered into a partnership with Don Williams, who served as Executive Vice-President of the company until June of 1999, when Gordon took sole ownership of the company. Through a combination of vigorous recruiting, careful expansion, innovative sales training, and a strong focus on quality service the Gundaker organization grew dramatically. During the late '70's the company acquired two competing firms: Fischer and Frichtel Real Estate, and the Stifel Company.

In 1978 Gundaker became a charter member of the newly formed Better Homes & Gardens real estate service, which added a national affiliation to the firms already growing reputation. In 1986 Gundaker was invited to join the prestigious Masterminds group (now merged with The Realty Alliance) an organization comprised of the principals of many of the top independently owned real estate firms in the United States. Gundaker Realtors is headquartered in its own 63,000 square foot Gundaker Corporate Center in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights. This facility also houses offices of Gundaker's affiliate organizations: Gundaker Commercial Group, Gundaker Insurance Agency, Gundaker Property Management, U. S. Title Guaranty, Inc., and Lending Express, a mortgage lending partnership with Mercantile Bank

His many charitable and civic projects have included serving as President of the Arthritis Foundation' area chapter and hosting its annual telethon, serving on the boards of the Kilo Foundation, Cerebral Palsy Auction, the MS Society, the Missouri Association of REALTORS, Mark Twain Bank, and the President's Council of St. Louis University. In 1989 he chaired the CBC High School Auction, which raised a record $300,000 and was also honored that year as St. Louis' Businessman of the Year by the St. Louis Rabbinical College.

Gordon serves on Large Brokers Advisory Council of The National Association of REALTORS. His company has a well deserved national reputation as an leader and innovator, often hosting visiting brokers from around the country, or responding to requests for information from those brokers. As the principle of the largest Wardley GMAC franchise in the country, Gordon has become their informal spokesperson and is a permanent member of their Advisory Board, _as well as a member of their "Pacesetters" broker group. Everywhere he goes, Gordon Gundaker is an ambassador for St. Louis.

Gordon is the father of five children, and grandfather of eight and resides in the St. Louis suburb of Town & Country, with his wife of 45 years, Donna.