This post contains coverage of the Thursday events at eXp World Holdings” Shareholder Summit, which is being held May 12-15 in eXp’s virtual world environment. Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s General Session and Wednesday’s breakout sessions. We will share updates on events and highlights each day right here in eXp Life.
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Once again, thousands of people attended today’s breakout sessions, which were held in eXp World and encompassed five tracks of learning, including a Mastermind series, ICON series, Growth, Sales and Expansion. More breakout sessions will be held on Friday. Also, the big not-to-miss event Friday is the keynote address by author and inspirational thought leader Jon Gordon. He will appear in eXp World on Friday at 11 a.m. ET. If you miss any sessions, they can be viewed here.
Here are some takeaways from Thursday’s sessions:
“Town Hall Mastermind” with Dave Conord and Special Guest Kirtus Dixon
President of U.S. Growth, Dave Conord and eXp University director Kirtus Dixon held a Town Hall mastermind early in the morning and talked about the value of masterminding and the power of connection in eXp World and Workplace.
Dixon described Conord’s experience building big brokerages across two decades.
Conord encouraged attendees to experience the Shareholder event, and life in general, with a focus on learning, similar to toggling on their microphones when walking through eXp World.
“Opportunities to learn and improve are everywhere if you are open to them,” shared Conord.
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The session discussed the power of eXp World and plugging in to events throughout the year, as well as the team room solutions and opportunities to meet, mastermind, and engage for referrals and many other benefits. The group also talked about Workplace as a tool for business-building, collaboration, and masterminding.
“How to Build Your Revenue Share the Right Way” with eXp’s Pat Hays
San Antonio’s Pat Hays spoke with fellow San Antonian eXp agent Randy Donnell on building revenue share. Hays says agents like to have fun so he hosts a weekly lunch and learn about eXp called “Freedom Fridays.” He offers lunch and says he has had an overwhelming response over the years.
“It’s all about the follow up! Follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up,” said Donnell. “One big reason agents don’t respond is because you didn’t follow up. You need to do a good job connecting and building relationships.”
He continued, “Following up is important. Send them little snippets about eXp. Feed them what they are hungry for. If it’s kvCORE, feed them kvCORE.”
“Top 5 Strategies For Success” with eXp’s AL Abdallah and guests
Michigan’s AL Abdallah hosted a panel that included Stacey and Jim Lambright, Shaughnessy Dusling, Ken Varilek and Kari Witt about how they achieved success.
Ohio’s Jim Lambright said in talking with clients, think about the acronym “FORD” to help break the ice – Family, occupation, recreation and dreams.
He also said that while most people rely on GPS to find open houses, it’s still important to put up signs. “If you put up 15-20 signs on a Friday and leave them up until Sunday, what do people see in that neighborhood? You! You are subliminally putting your name and face in their minds all weekend as they drive to the store or to their kids’ soccer game. It doesn’t matter that they are not buying, it’s important you are putting your name in their heads because people in those neighborhoods are potential leads down the road.”
Like attracts like. Be your authentic self and you will attract the right people, said Long Island eXp agent Shaughnessy Dusling.
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Dusling of Long Island, New York, described herself as a millennial who grew up with social media, so her style might not be one of a traditional real estate agent. But, that’s what separates her and she’s not afraid.
“You need to figure out how to build a tribe and speak to it. I have tattoos and piercings, a nose ring, and I wear leggings and boots and flip flops. If you are unashamed to be who you are, you will find people who will work with you. Like attracts like. Be your authentic self and you will attract the right people. They will send you 5-8 deals a year.”
“Next-Level Leaders” with eXp’s Scott Lewis with special guests
Agent and top influencer Scott Lewis hosted an impressive panel of eXp agents who have driven incredible growth across the company. Panelists shared their top tips for helping others grow their businesses and understand eXp’s value proposition. A common theme among the group was to simply take massive action.
Ohio’s Al Stasek emphasized that you need to invest in relationships. “You can’t make a withdrawal without a deposit,” he said. He and other panelists discussed the importance of genuinely helping other agents and expecting nothing in return.
All panelists said that listening is critical. Listen to what’s important to agents and follow their lead, and invest in relationships by adding value with every interaction. “Listen twice as much as you talk,” Texas’s Cliff Freeman said.
“Top Producer Mastermind” with eXp’s Jeff Sibbach and Phil Sexton
Arizona’s Sibbach Team is a top-producing team. Partners Jeff Sibbach and Phil Sexton have grown their team production by 1,700% over the past seven years, selling nearly 500 homes a year.
Sibbach and Sexton shared how they’ve built their business, starting with learning from other top producers. Schedule a meeting with experts on their schedule, and learn as much as you can about what they’re doing, particularly if they have niche expertise.
Sibbach and Sexton also discussed tips and tricks for building trust with clients. They said it starts with showcasing your expertise and cautioned that “there’s no silver bullet.” Successful agents have deep expertise in different neighborhoods and are able to draw on statistics and anecdotes in initial conversations with consumers.
Sexton described becoming a neighborhood expert as a “research project” that needs to be conducted online and in real life. You can read about inventory and recent sales online, but you need to visit the neighborhood in person, he emphasized. Take pictures of monuments, understand the neighborhood boundaries, drive around and understand what makes a place special.
“Content is King” with eXp’s Kyle Handy and special guests
San Antonio’s Kyle Handy hosted a panel of eXp agents who have mastered the art of content creation and social media. Handy asked panelists for their top tips for getting started with content creation today.
Texas agent Connor Steinbrook described the internet as a “race for market share” and encouraged agents to embrace video, even if they’re camera shy at first. California’s Bryan Casella doubled down – “you have to start shooting,” he said and all you need is a phone.
California agent Loida Velasquez, whose background is in marketing, said you need to start with a list of personas for whom you’re creating content. She recommended tailoring your content for those target audiences. Velasquez also said that consistency is important to maintain your audience and recommended making two to three videos per week.
Texas’s Chastin Miles, who has more than 40,000 subscribers on YouTube, said he doesn’t script his videos and it’s important to not “get in your head.” He also said it’s important to create content at a regular cadence so it becomes part of your routine. “Have your videos feel like a conversation,” he said.
“Multiple Ways to Make Income at eXp Right Now” with Suzy Truax
eXp agent and outgoing eXp World Holdings board member Suzy Truax was joined by Gracie Martinez, manager of the eXp Preferred Partner program. They discussed the multiple income streams within eXp that do not include revenue share.
Several eXp partners offer discounts or refer-a-friend opportunities including:
- Silverline title — Silverline Title & Escrow is a joint venture company with 50% ownership held by eXp Realty. Any revenue generated benefits eXp Realty and agents as shareholders.
- 360 Tours — Get a promo code and send it to another agent and they get a free 360 tour and you do, too!
- CE Shop — Send an agent to CE Shop and they get 35% off with a discount code. eXp agents earn money back.
- BuildASign — Exclusive rates given to eXp agents and they offer a new promotion each month such as 50-60% off signs (only available via Workplace group).
Additionally, eXp’s partners offer income opportunities:
- America’s Home Warranties — For any home warranty an eXp agent presents, whether it is purchased or not, the agent can earn money.
- Utility Connect (formerly Movinghub) — They provide setup services such as water, gas, cable, electricity, security system, insurance, and moving services to your clients. eXp agents can earn up to 15% commissions through these service providers.
- Currencies Direct — This currency exchange program is for foreign home buyers and offers a competitive exchange rate. Agents can earn a percentage whenever a transfer is made.
- IntroLend First Cloud — eXp-owned mortgage platform. eXp agents can earn quarterly dividends through referrals.
- Express Offers – eXp’s iBuyer platform. When an eXp agent introduces an institutional investor to the Express Offers platform and a transaction is made, the agent makes a referral fee.
- VirBELA – eXp agents have the opportunity to earn a leasing commission by referring businesses to VirBELA.
“Growth Mega Mastermind” with Dave Conord and Special Guests
Four eXp growth leaders hosted this mastermind session, including Gene Frederick, Chris Bear, Sam Rodriguez and Dave Conord. They talked about how to begin the discussion with others about eXp, the best CRMs for tracking and follow up during the attraction process and how to talk to independent brokers.
The 500-plus agents in the session shared their best practices and follow-up questions, allowing all of the attendees to learn from each other and improve their skills and confidence.
Frederick said, “We all have fears of asking. We don’t ask because we have fear. Get over it. Have the courage like a child does. Have you ever seen a 2-year-old ask for things? They ask for things all day long! Then as an adult we start taking a backseat to asking. Don’t be afraid to ask.”
“Team Building Do’s and Don’ts” with eXp’s Harriet Hinson
Georgia’s Harriet Hinson hosted a panel of ICONs including Pennsylvania’s Derek Donatelli, North Carolina’s Kyle Bender, Ontario’s Wayne Jewell and California’s Steve McCarthy.
One topic the panel handled was how to get leads.
Bender said, “Everyone knows there are good leads and bad leads, but we try to get as many as we can. We have a team text and as soon as a lead comes in, we send a text to the group and whoever can get in and respond, takes it. Also, you can have a billion leads, but you have to have good follow up. A lead is nothing if you don’t follow up.”
Jewell said, “We do a lot of Facebook ads and a lot of farming. Mail stuff out 6-7 times a year. Have three billboards, rent out an ice skating arena and offer a free skate. If your face is all over the place, people will call. We don’t buy leads. We did in the past, but not anymore. Our phone naturally rings.”
Donatelli added to “take advantage of the referral area of eXp workplace and reach out to ICONs. It works!”
McCarthy said, “Everyone thinks leads suck, but it’s all about following up and converting. It’s not just once, twice or three times (that you follow up). You keep going until you get the lead.”
