Valyn Lyons is a savvy businessperson. When others see roadblocks, she sees potential. This foresight has prompted her to close her independent brokerage and move her 54-agent team to eXp Realty. Valyn believes this will further her agents’ opportunities, and allow her team to grow in the U.S. and abroad.
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“I couldn’t unsee the opportunity to allow us to grow and expand together,” said Valyn. “My agents want to stay with my team and culture, but want to go to other states. For me to manually open each state by myself was too slow and difficult. eXp takes all of that away.”
Valyn and her team’s numbers are impressive. In 2021, the Cole Realty Group closed $86,697,531 in sales on 303 units and for the rolling, past 12 months, her team has closed $95,372,875 on 297 units.
Valyn’s Passion Has Always Been Real Estate
Valyn moved from Tampa to Atlanta in 2002 to work for an investment company and soon started a post-construction cleaning company, seeing a need through her friend, a builder. The market was booming – until the crash of 2008.
“I got my real estate license during the crash. Everyone was getting out and I was getting in. But their success didn’t determine mine. I love real estate and always wanted to do it,” said Valyn, who said her first year was challenging, selling one home – a mobile one.
“I never gave up. I kept going. I was in these model homes. They were all beautiful. I always loved the architecture and layouts. I could walk into the first floor of a home and know exactly what the upstairs layout looked like. I love real estate.”
Key Stats for Valyn Lyons:
- Cole Realty Group production in 2021: $86,697,531 closed sales on 303 units.
- Production for the past 12 months: $95,372,875 closed sales on 297 units.
- Atlanta Top Producers Award
- Teams in Atlanta, Orlando and Ocala, Florida
- International investor: Manchester, England; Spain, Portugal, Italy
- Volunteer of Lift Up Atlanta and Habitat for Humanity
- Cole Realty Group’s annual coat drive “Sharing Coats and Warming Hearts” with donations going to International Women’s House and American Kidney Services.
- Started Closing the Gap nonprofit
- Starting The Elite Broker Academy
Valyn Launched Cole Realty Group in 2013
Valyn started Cole Realty Group in 2013 (Cole is her maiden name) and she added her assistant, Charmaine in 2017. In 2018, she added her first agent and eventually grew her brokerage to 60 agents, slowing down her own production to help coach and grow the team.
She and her British-born husband are bicontinental, splitting their time between Atlanta and Manchester, England with plans to invest in properties in Portugal, Spain and Italy – all countries where eXp has brokerage operations.
“The (eXp) model just fits. We have a motto ‘No Agent Left Behind’ where we offer mentoring and coaching. Our training is called ‘Eat What You Kill,’ which is 26 hours over six days,” said Valyn, who remarked that even a seasoned agent was surprised that Valyn’s training was above anything she had experienced.
“I make everyone on my team take it. It’s a collaboration of everything I’ve learned over 15 years of doing real estate: Mindset, personalities, dealing with clients, scripts. It sets them up for success.”
Valyn is also passionate about starting The Broker Academy, which is designed to help Black real estate agents how to become a broker.
“It’s my love child. I’m always meeting agents who want to be brokers and they just don’t know what to do. In the U.S. less than 1% (of Black real estate professionals) are brokers. I’m developing a blueprint on how to start a brokerage and a guidebook in becoming a broker.”
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