What a day! eXpcon Miami 2024 launched with an early morning 5K run/walk benefiting eXp’s nonprofit eXtend a Hand, followed by a specialized self-defense course from Gracie University tailored for real estate agents. Other key moments included the ever-popular XCamp, where agents led an afternoon filled with valuable breakout sessions, delivering insights and strategies.
171 Take Part in the eXtend a Hand Fun Run & Walk
The first day of eXpcon Miami kicked off early with the eXtend a Hand 5K Fun Run & Walk, starting on the boardwalk behind the Fountainbleau Hotel in an out-and-back course. The sparkling blue waters of Miami Beach served as a memorable backdrop for this early morning run/walk.
A total of 171 participants joined the event, alongside several company executives, including eXp World Holdings Founder and CEO Glenn Sanford, CMO Wendy Forsythe, Chief HR Officer Renee Kaspar, General Counsel Jim Bramble, Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Neill, VP of Growth Russ Laggan and Director of Sustainability, Donald Cherry.
The event raised $25,017 for eXtend a Hand, which provides financial assistance and support to those in need within its agent and staff community.
The top male finishers were: 1st place – Josue Soto, 2nd – Harold Torres and third, Sam Basel. For the women, Tsola Omamogho came in first followed by Jessica Myers and Jennifer Johnson.
Gracie University’s Self-Defense Training Teaches Moves for Agents
For the second consecutive year, world-renowned Gracie University provided self-defense training to eXp Realty agents, with the course tailored specifically to the unique situations real estate professionals encounter. The three-hour hands-on session was attended by about 100 agents to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves that emphasize empowerment and confidence.
Rener Gracie, a martial artist and co-founder of Gracie University, and his wife, Eve, led the program. Renner said his mother was a real estate agent and he understood the importance of self-defense, designing a program especially for situations agents face.
“If you’re by yourself with someone you don’t know and you’re in close proximity, that could be an anxiety-filled situation. By the end of today, we will teach you the ability to communicate your concerns and assert yourself physically.”
Rener brought eXp Realty agent Carmen Zuniga in front of the class to show the general concept of how to break out of an aggressive situation.
“You have to go toward the problem to escape the problem. It’s not intuitive, but it’s about leverage,” Rener said.
He also taught that “Whoever manages the distance, manages the damage.”
Agents Gain Confidence and Insight in Self-Defense Course
A 2023 NAR Member Safety Residential Report revealed that 71% of real estate agents have personal safety protocols, with females more likely (73%) to follow them compared to males (59%). Despite this, many men joined the self-defense class at eXpcon, finding great value alongside their female counterparts.
Dana DeLuzio from Limerick, Pennsylvania, said, “I was hesitant to participate due to physical limitations, but the instructor encouraged me to join. This class has been very helpful.” Jillian Mariani also praised the course, calling it “eye-opening” and a “confidence-building” experience.
Marlene Hall, an eXp agent from Washington, D.C., had a very good reason for attending after being chased twice. “I wanted to learn new techniques in how to handle situations like that and learn to be more confident and understand your surroundings. So I’m really enjoying it and learning a lot.”
Osvaldo Bejerano, an agent in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, said on a scale from 1 to 10, the Gracie training gets a 20. “Learning self defense is a great thing that I always have in mind to protect not only me, but my entire family.”
Winning the Talent Game: Recruiting Playbook
Vija Williams, Head of Industry at Place, an all-in-one real estate platform that provides technology and business services, led a jam-packed session on how to develop a recruiting playbook that has recruited thousands of agents. eXp Realty agents Veronica Figueroa, Nick Good and Dan Beer joined her on stage to discuss what they know works and doesn’t work.
Among Vija’s expert tips, she outlines the five primary personas to focus recruiting efforts on: New licensees, low-producing agents, rising star, productive agents and legacy agents, then advises setting a cadence, hiring process and then to go!
“Can you handle two agents a month, and do that over again each month,” she asked. “My recommendation is to hire in groups of at least two as they need that peer pressure and you are putting in a lot of work, so it should be for at least two or three agents at a time.”
According to Nick, the problem is not recruiting but getting them into production.
“We slowed it down, now we are doing two a month and we are seeing production increase,” he said. “Teams are taking the market share. They have the accountability and the systems, we are helping them get into the rhythm of lead generation.”
“I recruit to all the things we offer as a team and ask them what’s important to them,” Veronica added. “They want to get going and build the momentum. I want to grow you and show you, we want to put you in production faster and get you in front of the right people.”
Dan outlined his process for recruiting to his team, which focuses on how the agent wants to grow. “I build a plan with the agent and that focuses on growing their business they way THEY want to,” he said. “I’m going to support them in that. You have to think of what you are building and who you are competing against, and I want the agent to be clear and focused on where they need to get.”
The Day Concluded With the Welcome Party
After a day of breakouts and networking, agents and staff got to mingle on the eXplore Floor where the eXp Brand Store and plenty of vendors and merchants were on hand to share their new products and technology.
The floor was pulsating with a DJ spinning and plenty of fun, eye-popping sights such as electric stilt figures and neon-lit archways. Food and drinks were plentiful and so were the smiles.
