Ernest Tew majored in real estate at the University of Florida and has been involved full-time in real estate investments since 1960. He has been actively involved in the acquisition, development, management, and marketing of more than $200 million worth of real estate.
He was president of the Gainesville, Florida, Board of Realtors in 1965, the youngest Realtor to hold the presidency at that time. In 1983, he was one of only seven in the country to receive the Academy Certified Exchanger designation from The Academy Network.
In 1989, he received the Golden Eagle Award, the highest award given by the Academy, for the creative way he structured the purchase of the 20 story Founders Tower office building in Oklahoma City, one of the best known landmarks in the state.