BREAKING NEWS: Industry Icon William Millichap Passes Away

“The company’s formative years benefited greatly from Bill’s push for innovation, including our training programs, the professionalization of the industry, and adaption of technology; key building blocks of the firm’s market leadership,” said Marcus & Millichap founder and chairman George M. Marcus.

“As an example, Bill’s commitment to advance the firm resulted in the industry’s first centralized, electronic inventory system as early as 1978,” Marcus continued. “He led countless evolutions of the company’s brokerage tools and client services, which helped achieve exceptional growth.”

“Bill was the truest of friends that one could ever have, and a real partner in good times and challenging ones. He was a unique and exceptional leader, coach and innovator. All who knew him would point to his intelligence, endless energy, enthusiasm, discipline, loyalty and competitiveness as main ingredients that made him the life force that he was.”

Millichap joined the company, then called G.M. Marcus Company, as an investment broker shortly after its founding in 1971. His career progressed rapidly. After becoming regional manager of the Palo Alto office in the mid-1970s, he went on to serve as president and a director of the company from 1985 to 2000 and was co-chairman of the board until his passing.