Joanne Bolt has been in real estate since 2003, performing as a top agent with Keller Williams. By 2020, she was hitting her head on the glass ceiling and it began to hurt. As an agent with Keller Williams, she took their personality assessment and it indicated she was ready and fit to be a coach, trainer, teacher or market center owner. But, her path was continuously blocked.
Determined to find a way to grow, she dialed up a former colleague who was now with eXp Realty. She asked him to give her the “honest to God” truth about eXp. He did and Joanne joined in November 2020. Now she’s happily running her own team and building her own revenue share group without anyone saying, “No, you can’t do that.”
“I’m building a world now where I can invest in my agents’ careers,” said Joanne. “I brought my admin and two agents and now I have 13 in my revenue share line. And with eXp’s strong international footprint, I have contemplated moving to London where my husband often works. It’s exciting!”
> Read why revenue share is better than profit share
Joanne was an immediate real estate star in 2003. She was named rookie of the year and finished as a top producer in her office each year. After being featured in a local magazine as a “Top 20 Agent in Their 20’s,” she drew lots of attention, including one with nefarious intent. An alleged prospective buyer contacted her, entered the brokerage office and pulled a gun, instructing her to get into the car. At gunpoint, he made her drive to ATMs where she emptied her bank accounts. He also used her credit card to buy watches, jewelry and more. Thankfully, after several hours in captivity, he released her physically unharmed. But the emotional toll was enormous.
“I couldn’t do real estate for a long time. I had a lot of angst and anxiety,” said Joanne. “I went through therapy. But finally, after several years, I missed being a powerhouse working woman, so I went back. It has defined who I am now and helped shape me in how I tick. I’m now focused on agents, not myself. What happened has perhaps helped me become a better coach and leader.”
Clearly, Joanne is not one to be held back or operate by fear. Her goal is to expand throughout the Southeast and have one agent in each state by the end of the year.
Learn more about Joanne Bolt:
Years in real estate: Since 2003
Gross sales and transactions in 2020: $20 million on 52 transactions.
Brokerage history:
- eXp Realty (Nov. 2020-current)
- Keller Williams (2016-2020)
- RE/MAX (2014-2016)
- Keller Williams (2003-2014)
Main territory: Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
Main focus: We work by referral in all areas of real estate.
When and why did you join eXp?
“I joined in late November of 2020. I was looking for a company that was ahead of the curve. When COVID hit, we discovered that our ‘technology-based brokerage’ was scrambling to pivot into a virtual world. We needed a brokerage that was already there. When we looked at that and the other ways to earn an income it was a no-brainer for our team. Now my immediate sales team has stock options, healthcare insurance options, in addition to revenue share. We felt this was an up-and-coming place for our agents, and thus our revenue share opportunity was massive. I haven’t been in production in several years so I needed a platform that could sustain the growth I wanted for the agents I work with. This one has met that and gone beyond our expectations.”
What makes eXp special to you?
“The ability to really run the kind of business I want to. I wanted to step out of running a traditional real estate team and be able to influence and help agents across the globe in building their careers and now I can do that. My group, The Bolt Group, has agents from everywhere. Some run their own teams. Some are individual agents. Some are buyer’s agents. We have seen an amazing ability to bring them all together to help each other out. This is expansion as I always envisioned it.”
Is there a significant experience you can share since you joined eXp?
“Last week I had an agent team in Brazil reach out to me via social media! eXp has now opened in that country and she wanted more information. I’ve never had agents in other countries reach out, so I hopped on a Zoom call to learn about them and what they were looking for in their next brokerage. Now I have them in communication with the Brazil leadership team. I’ve found it so easy to navigate how to find people in the organization by going into eXp World too.”
What is one thing about eXp that surprised you?
“Even though it’s all virtual, I’m more connected now than when I was in my other brokerage. The amount of collaboration and masterminds that are held in the revenue share line I’m a part of — Thrive Network — has put me in touch with some of the most influential people in the industry. I NEVER would have gotten access to this level of talent where I was. It’s said you are the sum of the 5 people around you and my 5 are now at an entirely different level than I was reaching before eXp.”
What kind of collaboration have you experienced at eXp?
“I meet monthly with agents who run teams. Everyone brings their own level of experience and skillsets and we generally have a topic to keep to, but it often goes off-topic to other items that team owners are looking for help on. I’m also meeting with a group on agent attraction to grow that avenue of my business. All systems and processes are shared and when someone has success it’s celebrated.”
Best tip to share with other agents:
“Be open to explore options and opportunities for your business. This industry is constantly changing and you need to make sure you’re at the right place to stay on top of it. Lead the pack, and don’t be led by the pack — make your own opinions.”
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