eXp Realty boasts a number of former celebrities who traded the spotlight for the closing table, but few come with the rock star credentials of Sharon “Share” Ross. Once the bass player and backup singer for the iconic 80s hair-metal band Vixen, Share spent decades touring the globe, playing sold-out arenas and earning platinum records. However, after years of relentless touring and little financial reward, she sought a new stage and joined eXp Realty in 2018.
Today, Share is a two-time ICON agent and founder of the Rockstar Home Group, covering Palm Beach and Broward Counties, closing around $12 million in annual sales. Reflecting on her transition, she humorously recalls grappling with her rock star image as she became a real estate agent.
“I think buyers and sellers have expectations about how a Realtor should look, speak, and act. I always wear Converse because that’s just how I roll,” she says with a laugh. “But I thought, ‘I can’t show up in blue jeans, a skull T-shirt, and Converse!’ But, that was my big problem. Every piece of clothing I own has a skull on it and is black.”
From Helen Reddy and Vixen to Touring with Ozzy, Alice Cooper, KISS, and More
Sharon “Share” Howe (now Ross) grew up in a small Minnesota town, just south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Her mother was a musician, and Share followed in her footsteps.
At 22, she moved to Los Angeles, working as a session musician. She eventually landed a gig touring the world for four years as the bass player for Helen Reddy, whose many hits include “I Am Woman,” “Delta Dawn,” and “You and Me Against the World.”
In 1987, Share joined Vixen and became part of the band’s rise to fame, playing on hit albums and touring on and off through 2022.
When not playing and touring with Vixen, Share and her husband, Bam Ross, pursued various creative ventures. In 1997, they formed the band Bubble, which gained attention in 2000 when their song “Sparkle Star” won Song of the Year in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and was featured in the film “Dancing at the Blue Iguana,” starring Daryl Hannah.
Over the years, Share performed with notable rockers and continues to. In 2003, she toured as the bassist with Bam’s band The Dogs D’Amour, opening for Alice Cooper. In 2014, she joined Joe Elliott’s Down ‘n’ Outz on their UK tour – and is still playing for him. She has also toured with Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, and Aerosmith, to name a few others.
In between all of that, she and Bam branched out into media, co-producing and hosting the video podcast Rock n Roll TV, which showcased emerging punk, garage, and rock bands. Share was also a life coach and published a book about knitting, appropriately titled “Punk Knits: 26 Hot New Designs for Anarchistic Souls and Independent Spirits.”
The Transition from Music to Real Estate and eXp Realty
Despite her continued success in music, by 2018, Share was feeling worn out.
“I was tired of being on the road and wasn’t making the kind of money that people think rock stars make,” she admits.
Around that time, she talked with Avery Carl, a punk rock guitarist turned Realtor, who convinced Share that she could “pull off being a Realtor, despite the tattoos and rock star image.” Inspired, Share got her real estate license, initially joining a couple of small brokerages before connecting with eXp Realty, with the help of eXp Realty agents Phil DeFrancisco (now deceased) and mentor Paul Saperstein.
While still performing “fly dates” with Vixen, Share consistently capped every year in real estate, even while juggling 30 to 35 weekends of shows.
“My clients would ask how my weekend was, and I’d just say, ‘It was great, thank you’ and steer the conversation back to the property. I didn’t want to tell them, ‘Actually, it was horrible — my flight was delayed, I’ve slept for one hour, and I’ve only had two meals in three days,'” she recalls with a laugh.
When the pandemic hit, she realized the pace was no longer sustainable.
“It wasn’t serving anybody — not me or the band.”
Life Beyond Music: A Creative Powerhouse
In 2009, Share and Bam left the hustle of LA for Delray Beach, Florida, purchasing a home during the housing crisis.
“It’s three times larger than our home in LA, has a pool, and we got it for a song,” Share laughs.
Their home is filled with instruments — two pianos, three drum sets, 12 guitars, and seven basses. Friends joke that they live in a recording studio that happens to have living space.
“We have this area we call the lounge,” Share explains. “We’ll have coffee in the lounge in the morning and pick up a guitar. We’ve always written songs together — it’s just a natural thing for us. Besides, if I don’t play to start the day, I get cranky. It helps me get focused.”
Living Her Best Life With eXp
For Share, real estate is another way to channel her creativity.
“I believe everyone is born to be creative, and real estate lets me tap into that side of myself,” she explains. “You often have to get creative to close a deal or find solutions for clients, and that’s something I love about this business.”
Since joining eXp Realty, Share has thrived. The global collaboration and resources have allowed her to grow her career while staying connected with agents worldwide.
“eXp allows me to connect with agents from all over the world, share ideas, and constantly learn,” she says. “It’s like being part of a huge band where everyone is working toward the same goal.”
To bring things full circle, Share introduced Avery Carl to eXp, where Avery leads the powerful Short Term Shop, an eXp Realty mega team operating in 15 markets and consistently a lead eXp Realty team, closing $599,749,884 in sales volume in 2023.
Share says of Avery, “She’s a genius – I’m convinced she’s a unicorn. She’s just killing it.”
