The eXp Commercial Breakout Path during the closing days of eXpcon Miami was all about business brokerage, investment sales and attraction.
Bridging Real Estate and Business Sales
The “Making Money Through eXp Business Brokers” panel offered insights into the lucrative field of business sales and showed attendees the potential for higher commission rates and referral opportunities. Panelists included Thomas Crumpton, CCIM, Brad Ruth, CBI, and Harold McGee, and was led by Jared Thompson.
Key topics included:
- Lucrative Earnings: Businesses are generally valued using a multiple of EBITDA or SDE, making it accessible for advisors with basic financial understanding. “Business brokerage can be incredibly profitable, and it’s simpler than many realize,” explained Crumpton.
- Refer and Earn Without Becoming an Expert: Commercial advisors and residential agents can benefit from referrals without needing to be experts in business sales. McGee shared a recent transaction that resulted in an $88,000 referral fee for the referring agent, showcasing a low-risk entry into business sales. “Even if you don’t sell a business directly, you can still yield significant returns through referral,” said McGee.
- Market Demand: With a wave of baby boomer business owners nearing retirement, the demand for business brokers is high. With fewer business brokers than real estate advisors in the field, competition is minimal, giving advisors a unique opportunity to build their business.
Moving Beyond Single-Family Investments
In an engaging session about investment sales led by John LeTourneau, eXp Commercial advisors Keith Andrews, Louis Chavez and Billy Spain challenged the audience to explore lucrative opportunities outside traditional single-family homes. They discussed diverse investment types, including self-storage facilities, RV parks, and multifamily properties, as pathways to build stronger, more sustainable portfolios.
Strategies for investors included:
- Build Strong Relationships: In commercial real estate, relationships are invaluable. Connections with investors, local business owners, and fellow brokers are fundamental to finding hidden opportunities and securing partnerships.
- Prioritize Cash Flow Investments: Cash flow should be a primary consideration, and speakers advised choosing investments that yield steady returns. Self-storage units and multifamily properties were highlighted as stable, high-yield options.
- Quote: “Cash flow is king — focus on consistent, positive returns over flashy, high-risk investments,” noted Billy Spain.
- Use 1031 Exchanges to Build Generational Wealth: A key strategy discussed was the use of 1031 exchanges, allowing investors to defer capital gains by reinvesting profits into new properties, thereby enhancing their portfolios and creating multigenerational wealth.
- Quote: “Swap ‘til you drop — 1031s are the single most powerful estate-planning tool,” shared moderator John LeTourneau.
Attraction Takes Center Stage
eXp Commercial Director of Growth Lyndee McNeese led a panel, “Maximizing Group Performance: From Attraction to Profitability,” where leading advisors James Huang, Mallisa Jackson and Michelle Pauley shared strategies for building high-performance groups focused on talent acquisition, culture, and profitability.
Key insights included:
- Customized Recruitment: Huang emphasized tailoring recruitment strategies to match candidates’ backgrounds and ensuring alignment with eXp’s tech-driven model. He advised, “Learn about the client or person you want to share this opportunity with, tailor the pitch.”
- Team Culture and Flexibility: Jackson seeks intense, driven individuals open to industry change, while Pauley advocates for a flexible, collaborative culture, ensuring team members support each other’s specialties.
- Defining Roles for Growth: Structured roles should adapt as teams expand. Jackson stressed planning ahead for seamless transitions, with “high emotional intelligence and a defined exit strategy,” ensuring continuity.
Perfecting Your Pitch
The final eXp Commercial session titled, “Attracting Excellence in Commercial Real Estate,” featured Senior Vice President of Growth Sean Murphy as moderator with speakers Gene Frederick and Calvin Wong. The session highlighted the company’s rapid expansion and underscored how vision, persistence, and the eXp community drive monumental success.
Key Highlights
- Company Growth & Milestones: The opportunity is endless for eXp Commercial. “eXp Commercial is growing at double the pace of eXp Realty, with an expanding reach in all 50 states,” shared Murphy.
- Strategies for Advisor Attraction: Frederick emphasized the importance of relationship-building and shared scripts, persistence techniques, and a structured approach for sustained recruitment. “You don’t have to recruit. Just invite,” he explained.
- Building a Strong Culture: Calvin’s success stemmed from creating welcoming, culture-rich environments, stressing that “emotion moves people.”
- Setting Ambitious Goals & Taking Action: The session closed with a commitment to big growth next year, rallying advisors to create life-changing results through collective discipline and consistency.
“Set a goal so big that you’re nervous about it,” urged Calvin, adding, “Leaders influence by showing a vision.”
