Accomplished Designated Broker and President Deems Dickinson of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Retires and Reflects on 44 Years Guiding Arizona’s Leading Luxury Brokerage.
Dickinson Led a Team of 900+ Agents and Oversaw Four Decades of Real Estate Transactions at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Including Some of the State’s Highest Sales.
Arizona’s Luxury Leader Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty announces with great regards and gratitude the retirement of one of its longest-tenured and most impactful company leaders.
Deems Dickinson has been part of the Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty family for an
incredible 44 years, retiring as President and Designated Broker, a role that he held for 14 years with
the firm, having previously served as Managing Broker of 5 different offices for 25 years on behalf
of the company.
Dickinson ended his career as a REALTOR Emeritus and exemplified a spirit of service and a
lifetime of learning, as he served as an Advisory Council Member of the Russ Lyon Foundation, on
the Board of Directors of the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS), and on the Board
of Directors of The Realty Alliance. He had previously been on the Board of Directors for the
National Association of REALTORS, the Chair of the Professional Standards Committee of the
Scottsdale and Arizona Associations of REALTORS, and served as the Director of Training for the
Elite School of Real Estate.
Reflecting on his career, Dickinson said, “As the steward of such a remarkable company, I have had
many opportunities in the real estate industry locally, across the state of Arizona, and nationally,
which allowed me to grow my career to what it is today. I will always cherish the lifelong friendships
and business relationships that I have developed over the last 44 years.”
As for what’s next for Dickinson, he is looking forward to schedule-free mornings, time with his
wife Betsy, their grandchildren, and adult children, traveling and volunteering for causes they care
about. He also looks forward to enjoying his passion for the outdoors in greater depth, including
fishing, jeeping, hiking and camping, golf, and pickleball. Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
thanks him for both how he helped the firm grow, as well as the personalized expertise and warm,
white-glove service he provided to the Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty family.
“It is with an overwhelming amount of gratitude and pride and that we congratulate Deems on 44 years with our company. I began working with Deems when my father Dennis Lyon, was still running the company many decades ago. Deems’ knowledge, patience, and leadership has not only
been an inspiration to all our agents but also to my own family and everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him these last four decades. We will miss him tremendously, but we know he will have some great times ahead in retirement.”
Jim Lyon, Owner and Chairman of Russ
Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Dickinson will be succeeded as the statewide Designated Broker by Bret Lamberson. Lamberson
grew up in Flagstaff, AZ, and joined Russ Lyon Realty of Flagstaff in 2005. Lamberson is a licensed
attorney in Arizona and California. He and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Flagstaff and split time in
their home in the historic district of downtown Phoenix with their two young children.