Real estate agents who have joined eXp Realty marvel at the company’s business model, which is multi-layered with a generous commission structure, revenue sharing potential and equity awards through stock.
If there’s one person who can be a shining example of what can come from activating all of those levers, it’s five-year eXp Realty agent team and influencer couple, Rob and Jennifer Flick. After joining eXp in 2016, Rob grew their already lofty financial portfolio to one he never would have imagined — that of a multi-millionaire.
As a result of their hard work and good fortune, Rob and Jen have established the Flick Family Foundation to “provide education and housing to those in need.” Through their foundation, they donated $1 million, plus a 10-year matching funds program to his alma mater, Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. The money will go to the Coronado Foundation for the Future’s Promise Scholarship Program, which will provide scholarships to students who attend two-year junior college programs or trade institutions as long as they meet GPA and attendance requirements. Prior to the Flick’s contribution, only a few scholarships could be awarded. But with their generous donation, over 200 students can receive scholarships.
“eXp is affecting people’s lives,” said Flick, who splits his time between Arizona and Puerto Rico. “We’ve lived a life of abundance and we want to give back. We want to see these kids and follow their lives and see how they are affected. We are making a difference.”
Rob Was an Athlete, Musician, Honor Student at Coronado
Flick was deeply involved in his high school where he was all-state in football as a running back; played percussion and drums in the orchestra, stage band, and marching band; was in the French Club and became an exchange student in France and was in the honor society. He graduated fourth in his class of 800 among a student population of 4,000.
Rob attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and was later assigned to the overhaul of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, learning about the ship’s myriad air conditioning systems as well as housing for 6,000 navy personnel. This set him up perfectly for his next step: joining Coldwell Banker’s commercial division where he was rookie of the year. He lived large, too, living in an 8,000 square foot home with an indoor pool and a 2,000 square foot master bedroom. But it all came crashing down in his early 30s when he was diagnosed with cancer, bankrupting him. He ended up living in a 10 x 10-square-foot bedroom in his parents’ house.
While Flick was recovering, he decided freedom was more important than money and came up with a plan to make just $100 more than he needed to live full-time.
‘Two Buyers, Two Sellers and Now, Two Agents a Month’
He joined Realty Executives, where he did quite well for several years, but in 1996, heard about Keller Williams’ profit-sharing program and was determined to make leveraged income as his avenue to freedom. He always had a mantra of “two buyers and two sellers a month” to achieve the income he desired, but now the mantra became, “two buyers, two sellers and two agents a month.” By recruiting two agents into Keller each month, he could leverage additional monthly income in addition to his commissions. And it worked.
Flick spent seven years with Keller Williams and retired in 2004 with a yearly passive income that spiked to around $300K, made through profit-sharing. He was done with real estate, and the money afforded him and Jennifer the ability to travel to their heart’s content. That is, until longtime real estate colleague Gene Frederick explained eXp to him.
“He told me this is not just another real estate company. It is going to change the entire real estate world,” said Flick. After he and Frederick talked over a night of scotch, cigars and did some napkin math, Flick saw that eXp’s model was something he and Jen couldn’t ignore, joining the company in 2016.
“We have attracted thousands of agents to eXp,” said Flick. “It’s really exciting seeing our agents become so successful. It’s beyond whatever we imagined and it’s driving us forward. We always wanted to do something for other people. Traveling is fun, but if you’re out there without your friends, what’s the fun? I’m sticking around.”
Unfortunately timed with Flick’s tremendous financial success came another medical hiccup — he had a potential “widowmaker” — an artery that was entirely blocked with two of the three other major arteries to the heart blocked 95%. He recently underwent a triple bypass and had a pacemaker installed, among other procedures.
“We have a new lease on life,” said Flick. “Doctors found all this stuff, but we are so fired up that we can take care of ourselves and our families and others. This is a new day and time for us to give back.”
Another reason Flick wanted to support two-year colleges and trade schools is because his daughter, Renee, struggled through high school. She had a passion for horses, wanting to study equine business management, but the college that offered the program turned her down, telling her she needed to attend a junior college first to establish her grades. Renee is now a second-semester sophomore, making the dean’s list and learning how to breed horses. She is on her way.
Jennifer admires a woman, Virginia G. Piper from Maricopa County, Arizona, who gives back. Rob said she inspired Jennifer to do the same. “She would always say, ‘I would like to do what Virginia does.’ And so we are. We always wanted to work with people to help better themselves.”
Jennifer said, “We are so grateful to have been shown eXp when we did, and Rob was experienced/accomplished enough to help grow the company exponentially at that time.
“eXp’s compensation plan provided us the platform to build our income to a level that can make this kind of difference in the lives of adolescents (which is one of my areas of passion)! The more you have, the more you can give. We are so excited for this project, and more in the future.”
