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The Real Brokerage has added another 30 agents with the onboarding of former eXp brokerage Mission Realty in Richmond, Virginia. The independent company’s leader, Clayton Gits, cited Real’s commitment to collaboration as primary to his team’s joining, according to a press release sent to Inman.
“At Real, it starts at the top,” Gits said. “The idea that we’re all on the same team is incredibly attractive and so unique in this industry. That, combined with Real’s commitment to building a visionary solution that streamlines homebuying and selling for both agents and consumers, made our decision to join Real an easy one.”
The release stated that Mission was named a Best of Zillow brokerage and counted among RealTrends’ top 1.5 percent of global real estate teams. “The team has sold more than 4,000 homes for a combined value of $1.5 billion, with over $136 million in 2023 alone,” the release stated.
Mission represents the second eXp brokerage that Real has recruited in less than a month. Mega-team Premiere made the move in late January. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, Premiere operates in 20 states and 38 markets. Real added 56 agents in October 2023 in the Sacramento, California, area and, just prior to Premiere, it scooped up another Carolina-based firm, the 40-agent Carolina Sky Real Estate, operating in North and South Carolina.
Real’s rollout of several agent-friendly work benefits is helping it keep pace with legacy brands. At its RISE conference in October last year, Real introduced Real Retirement shortly after announcing that it would be offering a group-buy insurance plan. The retirement program grants agents who have worked three years with the brokerage the full amount of their monthly revenue share payments, even if they leave the company and provided they maintain an active license. It also offers Real Wallet and WealthPlan, two initiatives to help agents maintain long-term financial stability and augment their savings in correlation with their sales volume.
Real President Sharran Srivatsaa said in the release that the agent benefits are doing what they’re supposed to — attract top-producing agents.
“Beyond Real’s core values, the company’s flexible model and attractive financial incentives inspire powerhouse teams like Mission Realty to align themselves with Real’s vision,” he said. “Clayton’s unwavering commitment to helping others grow and achieve success is exactly what Real is all about. His belief in the dual values of working hard and being kind cannot be understated, and in that, he has found a perfect home at Real.”
Technology is not always the top reason a team moves its affiliation, but it certainly matters. Real deploys an in-house AI solution for helping its agents manage their business alongside a company-wide installation of Lofty, a popular industry software for lead nurture, listing marketing, team collaboration and other features for business acceleration.
This year, Real also announced two new forms of membership, Private Label and ProTeams. The Private Label model gives independent brokerages access to Real’s internal software solutions and its cascading efficiencies while sustaining its existing consumer-facing brand.
Real’s ProTeams affiliation hinges on team leaders’ desire to intricately manage the financial parameters of agents under their lead, offering custom agreements on caps, splits and fees, according to Real. This kind of flexibility allows new teams to maintain what members are accustomed to, avoiding onboarding hassles or agent departures because of brokerage-mandated contracts.
The ProTeams plan is available to select teams and, later in Q1, to teams across Canada and the United States.
Real has now surpassed the 15,000-agent milestone.
“With the launch of these new programs, we’re set to further accelerate our growth, providing unparalleled opportunities for independent brokerages and teams to expand their businesses with unmatched flexibility and support,” Real Chairman and CEO Tamir Poleg said in January.
