Jim Nuth is one of eXp Realty’s very first employees, joining the company as an agent, but quickly finding himself among a small team of scrappy employees and agents who helped establish the billion-dollar company you see today.
He took a chance by joining eXp Realty in 2009 as a real estate agent when the company had less than 60 agents and about a half dozen employees. Fast-forward 13 years and Jim rose through the ranks, becoming Senior Vice President of Operations for eXp Realty in the U.S. and Canada.
Jim and his wife Robyn have been married 22 years and have five children, blended from their first marriages. Their family has now grown to 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. When they are not hunkered down in their home in Peoria, Arizona, they are roaming the West Coast in their motorcoach.
1. How did you initially hear about eXp and what compelled you to join a company that was just starting out?
“Back in November of 2009 I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a blurb that mentioned eXp. I was curious because I had never heard of eXp, so I did some digging and researched. I was at a large local independent firm, where my father-in-law was (and still is) a managing broker. I was not looking to leave that firm, but after researching, then meeting with Glenn personally (Glenn Sanford, Founder, CEO and Chairman of eXp World Holdings) … I understood and saw his vision. I felt he was on to something BIG. I felt I needed to get on board, or get left behind. So, I pulled the trigger and joined.”
2. What were your roles and duties in the first 1-3 years?
“I joined eXp as a sales agent. In the beginning, we were very small. The staff was minimal, and any/every one who wanted to chip in and volunteer to help us grow and be better did. Many, myself included, were doing all we could to attract, grow and get our name out there. Some, myself included, focused on our systems and making eXp efficient, sustainable and a place where agents would want to join and stay. I definitely focused more heavily on the latter.”
3. Did you have any doubts about the company “making it?”
“I never had any doubts on the success of eXp. But, success can be defined in many ways. The level of success, and the growth and power of this company and brand has far exceeded my imagination.”
4. What do you feel are some of the most significant features the company put forth to make it a success?
“Definitely our collaboration. We got here from humble beginnings in no small part to the open atmosphere of listening and sharing ideas. I remember in my very early days in our original cloud office, I was roaming around and wandered into a room where the company leaders were having a meeting. I apologized for interrupting, and Glenn quickly asked me to stay. He said my opinion and view from the agent’s perspective would be appreciated. It was at that time, I knew I wanted to be involved and help this company grow.”
5. What has been your proudest accomplishment of your time at eXp so far?
“I am so proud of my journey. As I said, I joined eXp as an agent. I joined to take advantage of the tools, systems and ideas that were planned to be different and cutting edge. From there, I stepped up as an associate broker to share a higher level of participation. To continue my path, I was a volunteer managing broker for Arizona, I assisted the designated managing broker (DMB) in the daily operations and compliance of Arizona while also helping shape processes and systems the entire company used nationwide (or as wide as we were at that time). From those volunteer positions, I was made an official employee, and was the second DMB named to run Arizona and continue shaping the company. My journey does not stop there. I was then named the company’s first Regional Operations Manager (ROM) and my region was the U.S. As a ROM, I oversaw the brokers in the entire U.S. and helped in developing new systems, processes, our independent contractor agreement (ICA) and policies and procedures, and the standard operating procedures (SOP) that we follow today. And to get us to today, I was then promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations where I now oversee the operations for the entire U.S., Canada and eXp Commercial. All along the way, I was very fortunate to have amazing people by my side assisting in getting us to the eXp we all see today. The road ahead is still quite long, and with the team we have in place right now, I’m excited for what tomorrow holds.”
6. You are entering your 13th year at eXp. How do you keep things fresh and enjoyable day in and day out?
“This is an easy one – in real estate, there are some things you can count on… Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t. There is always something new and exciting coming down the road to keep you on your toes. Another constant is CHANGE. Changes happens moment to moment. Either we at the company are making changes, the real estate industry in general with rules, regulations, and laws are changing, or just the change of the day to day from working with the agents and staff. Keeps everything new and exciting.”
7. What tip would you share with others who are new to eXp or have been here awhile for navigating the company?
“First thing, is smile. How you feel inside is directly proportional to how you feel and present yourself on the outside. Also, make yourself available. Jump into as many things as you can. Embrace our office and our culture. The more you do, the more you will feel that you fit in, and you will. And lastly, ask questions, everyone you cross paths with is another asset and at least partial historian to what they have seen and done. Tap into that, and share your experiences and knowledge as well.”
8. If you could have one thing in the world to make your job easier, what would it be?
“Super tough question. There are many tools and many processes I would love to have right now, but instant change has too much of an effect on the agents and their business. I think the process to make the changes and time we spend in getting them set up the best way we can gives us the opportunity to transition the agents over as opposed to an instant business shocking jolt. If I have to answer, I’d say super powers and an unlimited budget.”
9. When people ask you about eXp, what is your 30-second elevator pitch?
“eXp can be life-changing to anyone who chooses to embrace it and take advantage of what we have to offer. We offer amazing tools and support, which stand alone and help any agent advance their business in magical ways. But wait, there is more, we have some of the best icing in the industry with our revenue share model and our stock award and purchase program, and I’m happy to explain our model in detail, and how we can help change your life.”
10. What would you now say to eXp non-believers?
“No one has to believe everything. And everything is not for everybody. I don’t push the eXp experience, but I do say look at what we’ve done and how quickly we got here. If we aren’t a fit for you today, great, you do you, and do you the best way you can. Make yourself smile everyday. But I would suggest keeping an open mind and watching with open eyes. We may be what you are looking for in the future.”
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