On February 14, Real officially announced that after a record-breaking month in January, the brokerage added 1,000 agents to its roster, surpassing the 15,000 mark. Less than a month later, on the same day as its 2023 earnings call, the brokerage reached 16,000 agents.
Now, you can add Dustin Brohm, aka the Massive Agent, to the list of agents and team leaders who have switched to Real.
THE DECISION TO MOVE
The decision to change brokerages was not made lightly. Brohm, who built a network of over 300 agents in his six years at eXp Realty, found himself at a crossroads when his mentor, Clayton Gits, approached him to ask about his thoughts on Real.
“I certainly didn’t see this brokerage change on my bingo card for 2024, “ Brohm admitted, highlighting the unexpected nature of this career pivot. “Switching and leaving a portion of 340 agents behind (from his network at eXp), was not something I even wanted to think about.”
After having some tough conversations, Brohm came to learn that numerous respected team learned were also considering Real. At that point, he decided that after brushing off the brokerage for years, it was time to give Real an honest look.
From there, Brohm began his research, taking time to learn about Real’s offerings, technology, revenue share model and culture. To his surprise, he liked everything he saw.
A BIGGER SHIFT
Brohm’s decision to move to Real is part of a larger shift, which was initiated by Gits in February. Gits had a network of 1,500 agents at eXp before moving to Real, and his move has made many question what each brokerage has to offer. Brohm noted that with Gits’ departure, many from his downline might decide to follow his lead and make the switch from eXp to Real, though it will take some time to see how many actually convert.
At the end of 2023, eXp had 87,515 agents, a 2% increase year over year, but a quarter-over-quarter decline from Q3—the first quarter-over-quarter decline eXp has seen. During its Q4 earnings call, eXp Founder and CEO Glenn Sanford stated that the decline was due to offboarding unproductive agents that were costing the company money. It’s possible though, that agents deciding to leave also factored into the equation.
That being said, Brohm acknowledged eXp’s strengths as a brokerage and what it has done for his career.
“I still think eXp is a great company. I just realized it’s not the best one anymore for me and my agents.”
Dustin Brohm
The Massive Agent
WHY REAL?
Brohm’s transition to Real was driven by a desire to serve his team’s best interests rather than personal gain.
“The only things that would have kept me at eXp were selfish—like, ‘I don’t want to rebuild. I don’t want to start over.’”
Dustin Brohm
The Massive Agent
After learning that many of his agents were already curious about Real, he knew that making the switch was best for him and his team. Brohm believes Real is a more supportive—and more lucrative—environment for agents, with plenty of growth opportunities. As a relatively small brokerage that is rapidly expanding, it shows no signs of slowing down.
“I am STOKED about the future for myself and all the agents in my world. The growth opportunity here at REAL is second to none. A well-established brokerage, with the best culture and business model, and world-class leadership… that’s still just barely getting started.”
Dustin Brohm
The Massive Agent
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