When Brett Jennings, founder of Real Estate Experts in San Jose, set the goal of reaching $1B in annual sales volume, he didn’t think he’d actually hit it.
But he had to list something as a 10-year “big, hairy, audacious goal” for a business planning exercise. So even though he was reasonably sure it wasn’t possible, he wrote down $1 billion.
In November 2021, just five years after setting that goal, Brett crossed the $1 billion threshold. We caught up with Brett to talk about how he made it happen.
Get clear on why you’re here
“The highest levels of success don’t come from more grinding, they come from more alignment,” said Brett. “Until you align your personal purpose with what you’re doing for a living, you’re not fully optimized.”
By working through a business planning exercise that asked him to write his own eulogy, Brett realized he wasn’t going to be remembered for selling hundreds of homes: He was going to be remembered for how he led and inspired others. Helping his team grow became his “big why” and singular focus.
Invest in your people and the money will follow
Once he was clear on his “big why,” Brett realized he needed to get more involved with coaching and training his agents.
So he reframed his goals, shifting focus from making money to making an impact. “When I stopped focusing on my own sales and focused on the growth and development of my people, everything fell into place,” said Brett. “I started to really live out a principle I first heard from Zig Ziglar: ‘If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll automatically get what you want.’”
Continuing this trend, this year, instead of concentrating on that $1 billion goal, Brett committed to helping at least five of his agents earn $1 million in commissions each. That shift in focus paid off: At least 15 of Brett’s agents will earn $1 million in gross commissions this year, momentum that helped push Real Estate Experts as a whole over the $1 billion threshold in 2021.
Develop a crystal clear plan
“Clarity is power,” said Brett. “Coming up with an exactingly clear plan gives you the certainty you need to take the daily actions to reach your goal.”
Through his strategic partnership with Side, Brett developed a detailed plan that delineates exactly what needs to happen each quarter (how many homes need to be sold, how many leads need to be generated, etc.) for both his company and his agents to reach their goals.
Execute relentlessly
“Ideas are a dime a dozen,” said Brett. “It’s execution that really makes the difference. Wealth exists in the gap between ideas and their implementation.”
Brett’s team meets every 90 days to align on their strategic plan and make sure they’re on course. And his business manager at Side tracks the team’s results, identifying and mitigating any inefficiencies hampering their growth.
Want to grow your team to $1 billion in sales? Follow this roadmap.
To help other growth-minded leaders, Brett mapped out the seven stages of his journey to $1B, including the challenges, key hires, and goals for each stage.
For detailed insight into exactly how Brett approached each stage in his company’s growth, you can download Brett’s full roadmap at RoadmapToABillion.com. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of the seven stages:
1. Team Leader
Transactions per year: 25-50
Agents: 2-4
Key Hire: Rockstar admin
2. Marketer
Transactions per year: 50-75
Agents: 3-6
Key Hire: Marketing specialist
3. Sales Manager
Transactions per year: 60-100
Agents: 6-10
Key Hire: Inside sales department
4. Grower
Transactions per year: 80-150
Agents: 8-15
Key Hire: Sales manager
5. Recruiter
Transactions per year: 100-250
Agents: 10-30
Key Hire: Director of operations
6. Leader
Transactions per year: 250-750
Agents: 30-60
Key Hire: Department heads
7. Visionary
Transactions per year: 750+
Agents: 60-150
Key Hire: Producing manager for personal business
Download Brett’s Roadmap to $1B plan here.
Brett’s number-one advice for agents looking to follow a similar path: “Get crystal clear on your mission, vision and long-range plan. Then translate that plan into numbers and execute it. But it all starts with getting clear on what you want — and why you want it.”
Real Estate Experts, which grew from $124 million in 2019 to over $1 billion in 2021, is partnered with Side — a behind-the-scenes brokerage platform that exclusively partners with top agents, teams and indies to create and grow their own boutique brands without the cost, time or risk of operating a brokerage.
