The Story of a Real Estate Agent

The Story of a Real Estate Agent

by Ron Barber – Broker Associate with over 42 years of experience

Once upon a time I started out with a traditional brokerage right after coming out of real estate school. I was only 26 years old and working on a freight dock making union wages, had great insurance and benefits and even had the opportunity to purchase stock of this employee owned major carrier. WOW! Making twice or more of the minimum wage, bought a new car and new house and had about anything I wanted to have as long as my credit would purchase it.

Things changed after working on the freight dock for 6 years. I knew I wanted to do something rather than manual labor and I started looking diligently. Guess what? I found the perfect career. I wanted to be that “million dollar producer” and produce a “million” dollars. Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way. It seems this career didn’t award me a million dollars in my production commission. It only meant I received a percentage of that “million” dollars that I produced in sales and I was okay with that. The brokerage I signed up with let me receive a whopping 3% of the sales price. I was once again excited. A “million” dollar producer meant I received $30,000 for the sales. WOW! Again. Then, the brokerage wrote my commission check and I only received $14,025. What’s wrong with their math? He explained that my “split” was only 50% of the 3% less a 6.5% franchise fee. I was beside myself. All that hard work to get my license, making sales that added up to $1,000,000 expecting a 3% commission and only receiving less than half of that. I couldn’t believe what I had gotten myself into.

After a few days of cooling off and understanding how this “traditional brokerage” worked and all the marketing they did for you (LOL), I settled down and said it wasn’t so bad after all. I worked this way until I was in my thirties. Then, a friend of mine invited me to the big “Family Reunion” that his organization had once a year in some big city in the United States. It was kind of like a convention, but everybody was part of the “Family”. My friend explained to me how the split for agents was higher and then he talked about a cap, then I would make 100% of my commission after paying in some $21,000 plus another $3500 royalty fee to the “corporate” office. I was ecstatic. My world really changed then. I would cap every year and start making that 100% and started bragging to my realtor friends about the high commissions. Then, another miracle happened. The organization said I would share the profit from the office profits for each agent I brought on board. “Are you kidding me” I said. I really got too excited about this one. My largest “profit” check was only $31.29. Nothing to write home to Mom about. The office never seemed to make much profit. Stayed there a few years and then something big happened.

I was approached by another guy carrying a red, white and blue “balloon. 100% commission he said. “GET OUT OF HERE! You’re kidding me, right?” I asked “where do I sign up? I thought I would live happily ever after. Well, as usual, that wasn’t the case. They charged a Texas franchise fee, an office fee (which was in the hundreds to over one thousand dollars a month). That discouraged me for years to come. I finally went to several other brokerages checking each one out and practicing their business models to the point where I decided to hang my broker’s license in my own brokerage. This was great for a while. I relocated to another area to retire, but I had no retirement package like many of my friends. Their social security and pensions more than paid their monthly expenses.

I didn’t have the luxury of retiring especially since I was still legally raising 3 of my grandchildren. So, I joined a local brokerage. It was great! The owners were very nice folks, agents were very friendly and we all helped each other out when needed. I even received a nice deposit onto my organization furnished prepaid card when I recruited an agent and he had a closing. Now this is where I’ll hang my license until I maybe retire one day.

Guess what? Almost 2 years later, my wife and I decided to open our own brokerage in the small town where we live. I researched joining the Realtor Association as a Designated realtor/broker and the MLS and the cost was astronomical. I had to join TWO associations and MLS’s. 

Then, a realtor friend of mine called me up and asked if I was open to hearing about a brokerage that was disrupting the real estate industry with technology and revenue sharing. I had already heard about this brokerage a year before this time and was somewhat interested. The agents that told me about it only sent me one or two emails and/or texts. One took me to lunch. Well, the friend of mine actually drove over 100 miles to my home office and FULLY explained every aspect of this in a way that my wife (and partner) and I could understand everything about the business model. This was my Dream Come True. I had never seen anything like it. I have literally been with every franchise and/or big real estate brokerages in the Dallas/Ft Worth area just to get the prestige and name recognition. My wife and I even owned a franchise/office in Plano, TX. I finally realized I didn’t need all the big “awards” as the Top Team, Top Agent. Multi-Million Dollar Producer, the Diamond, Platinum, Bronze Award winner. What I needed is a way to receive a multi-revenue generator to where I could make more than 100% of my commission with more than just one way of making a living, much less retire.

I FOUND IT! With eXp Realty, I created an Action Plan to retire and still receive income for the rest of my life. Stock purchase at a discount (EXPI is publically traded on the stock exchange) at every closing. Agent Attraction that goes down 7 levels. ICON Agent status that returns all my split to the company in stock. Agent Owned, cloud based company that was designed by an agent wanting to help other agents instead of the brokerage making all the profit. eXp Realty pays the agents first. I am finally at the place of my dreams.

If you’d like to know more about the business model, please call me NOW! It will change your life and business. Some of the largest and top producing teams in the real estate industry have made eXp their brokerage. It just makes sense. No brick and mortar unless you prefer it. No large E&O policies, no direct responsibility of sponsoring agents, no rent, work anywhere. No HIGH franchise purchase and renewal fees plus a required brick and mortar office location. Giant referral network of 24,000 plus agents/brokers in all 50 states, U.K. and Australia. Certified Mentoring for the promising new agent. Technology that is unbeaten, marketing center, over 40 hours of training per week. eXp Realty has the professional eXp World with avatars. All brokers, training rooms, special meeting rooms, tech support, agent services are online in the eXp World. eXp also has membership in Regus Office Suites so we’re able to reserve conference rooms in hundreds of office buildings in the USA. All of this under ONE Brokerage. No independently owned and operated office.

Do you have a very expensive brokerage/franchise or large team you’re responsible for? It may just be you. We have an alternative. At least give it a chance and call us now. You can also go to the careers link listed below to find out more about the “Business Model of eXp Realty”. Talk to you soon!

Sincerely yours,

Ron and Becky Barber

214-223-5795 Ron cell/text

214-223-5684 Becky cell/text

469-449-9800 Office and Fax

[email protected]

[email protected]

https://ronbarber.exprealty.careers