Gene Guernsey’s Biography
More than 40 years ago, Gene Guernsey entered the Real Estate business. He had been an appraisal apprentice for Rick Sowash and Sidney Smith. He did time on a land survey crew and later opened an apartment locating and rental referral service. He spent time as a sales agent for Sowash & Associates, Keller Williams Realty, Coldwell Banker, ERA Windward Properties, and 11 years as the most productive RE/MAX Associate Broker in Corpus Christi. Gene was consistently one of the Top 20 RE/MAX agents in Texas. In 2005, he was the #2 RE/MAX agent in Texas and 65th in the nation. Though he had always been self-employed, Gene decided to put his own name on the company in 2010 and forego franchise expenses. Over the last 25 years, he has sold more than $449 million in residential real estate in over 1,614 transactions. Over 40 years he has helped thousands of people move to Corpus Christi; people from every state in the United States and 36 different countries.
As a licensed Texas Real Estate Broker, Gene has sold and leased multiple commercial properties, including farm & ranch, industrial, and residential multifamily. The largest commercial transaction Gene sold was a $14 million listing. Commercial leasing is also an area of expertise for Gene as he recently leased a 45,000 square foot office space.
Gene has been involved in the community in many different ways. Some volunteer activities and awards include:
- 7 years of service – Corpus Christi Regional and Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, as a city council appointee
- 5 years of service – Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, elected by the membership
- 10 years of service and 2002 President – Corpus Christi Bay Council of the U.S. Navy League
- 1992-2002 – Chairperson of Military Affairs for the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
- 1999 – Board of Directors, Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance (GCCBA)
- 1998 – Winner of the Chairman’s Award from the GCCBA Chairman, Joe Fulton and Chairperson of the 1998 Membership Drive which netted 306 new members.
- 1997 – Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year for GCCBA which culminated 10 years as Ambassador
- 1997 – Recognized as one of Corpus Christi’s Top 40 Individuals Under 40 years of age
Involved in several PAC’s, among them:
- Citizens Against Strong Mayor form of Government
- Corpus Christi YES
- Forward Corpus Christi
- Future of Corpus Christi
Member of or volunteer for the following organizations at some point over the past 30 years:
- The Corpus Christi Apartment Association
- Corpus Christi Association of Realtors
- The American Cancer Society
- Texas Special Olympics
- National Kidney Foundation
- Bank of Corpus Christi
- Coastal Conservation Association
- Saltwater Fisheries Enhancement
Personal Development groups include:
- Pilgrim on Journey to Damascus 15
- Team member of several Journeys to Damascus
- Member of Walk to Emmaus and ACTS Retreats
Most importantly, Gene is fortunate enough to be married for 35 years to his wonderful wife and business partner, Celeste M. Guernsey. They are the proud parents of their son, Joshua T. Guernsey, and daughter, Gabrielle M. Guernsey.
