How did a nice guy from Wisconsin end up selling real estate in Colorado while living in Puerto Rico?
The answer: eXp Realty.
eXp agent Kevin Smits has the best of both worlds: a place in the Rockies and one in the gorgeous tropics of Puerto Rico. And with his capable Smits Team at the ready in Summit County, Colorado — just under two hours west of Denver — he can deftly sell gorgeous mountain resorts while sipping a Mai Tai under a palm tree in Puerto Rico. Not that Smits is all play and no action, but he has managed to balance the two neatly. As a matter of fact, this year his team is on pace to sell more than $117 million in sales and is projecting 160 transactions.
“Ninety percent of our business is second/vacation homes. Some of those owners do it solely for recreation and others are looking to take advantage of our great rental market and add to their income,” said Smits.
His team in Colorado is made up of two inside sales agents and eight agents. He and his wife, Amy, who personally sold $40 million in 2020, handle transactions and lead and coach the team from Puerto Rico with the help of eXp’s tools and technology and via Zoom.
“The average agent in our area sells less than two homes per year. Our average agent sells 18-20 homes,” said Smits.
Learn more about Kevin Smits:
Years in real estate: Since 1998
Gross sales and transactions in 2020: $125 million on 160 transactions
Previous brokerages:
- eXp Realty (Sept. 2019 – current)
- Independent brokerage (July 2017 – Sept. 2019)
- Century 21 franchise owner (May 2005 – July 2017)
- Keller Williams franchise owner (Oct. 2002 – May 2005)
Main territory:
Mountain resorts of Colorado: Summit County, (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone and Copper Mountain) Eagle County (Vail, Beaver Creek, Avon and Edwards) and the Aspen area.
When and why did you join eXp?
“We joined in September of 2019. I was introduced to eXp by Scott and Traci Lewis about five years ago, but we were just getting out of a franchise and I had no appetite for joining another. It wasn’t until Mike Grbic and I were chatting in Puerto Rico that he explained it was a platform, not a franchise. We looked at the upside of revenue share, the technology available (especially eXp World) and thought what a great opportunity for our agents. The ability to actually retire from a transactional income model to one with leveraged income is unheard of in real estate.”
What makes eXp special to you?
“It is easily the caliber of people. We moved to Puerto Rico six years ago and have mentioned the advantages of living here to a number of our friends in real estate starting with Mike Grbic and AJ and Abby Mida. They are now our neighbors along with Gene Frederick, Scott Lewis, Rob Flick, Tim and Julie Harris, Sheila Fajeren, AJ Mida, Don Hobbs and a whole host of others. I can tell you the masterminds we have are absolutely priceless.”
Is there a significant experience you can share since you joined eXp?
“We had the absolute pleasure of bringing one of my coaching clients, Mark Parks, who was brand-new at eXp from RE/MAX, to dinner at Gene Frederick’s home where (eXp World Holdings Founder and CEO) Glenn Sanford was visiting. It was an experience few have had in their current franchises and what an impact on a person just joining the company.”
What is one thing about eXp that surprised you?
“The sheer number of people who are absolute rock stars. At our first EXPCON we walked into the convention center and saw nearly every one of our coaches! Bob Corcoran, Don Hobbs, Jay Kinder and Mike Reese from National Association of Expert Advisors (NAEA). We knew we made the right decision just stepping in the door.”
What kind of collaboration have you experienced at eXp?
“(eXp Vice President of U.S. Growth) Sam Rodriguez was a great help when onboarding. We had a couple of hiccups and he went to bat for us. Gene Frederick has become a mentor and Mike Grbic has been super generous with ideas, graphics, and a great person to bounce ideas off.”
Best tip to share with other agents:
“Control your time. In order to grow, you must control your time. Set your voicemail daily and tell people what you are doing that day. Tell them when you will call them back. No one will seek out help from another agent if they know when you are returning their call. Don’t say “as soon as possible” as that isn’t specific enough. Also, when it is your day off, tell them that is the day you spend with your family even if it is just you and your dog.”
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