3 minute read
The Trouble with Sponsoring
BY MELANIE ROBITAILLE, SR. STAFF WRITER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Vickie Grimes brought in her first sponsor just over a year after joining EXIT Realty in 2013, and the trouble is, once she started sponsoring, she just couldn’t stop and recently celebrated welcoming her 100th sponsor over the course of her career.
Starting as a sales representative turned owner of EXIT Realty Heartland in Elizabethtown, KY, Vickie knew nothing of real estate or the brand when an EXIT associate connected with her via social after she posted about her financial concerns in the face of her mother’s failing health.
“Anytime is the right time to talk about the EXIT Formula and sponsoring opportunity,” Vickie urges. “It starts with asking. Agents don’t need to over-complicate it. I’m a great example of how a simple invitation can change a life.”
As an owner, Vickie values the remarkable opportunity sponsoring creates for building office culture as well as activating agents. In fact, she uses a systematic approach that helps those she introduces to EXIT come full circle and realize their professional goals of ownership as well. Here’s how it works:
BE WHERE THE AGENTS ARE
Whether it’s real estate schools, associations, or social media groups, be in the room or following conversations and engage. Vickie runs a real estate school, which gives her a good pulse on who would make what she calls a “great EXITeer.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Like-minded individuals who share EXIT’s values of mentoring, sharing, and caring are a great start, but they don’t just have to be in real estate. Vickie looks for professionals, often admin staff or sales agents who are customer-service driven, but she also finds those active in their communities are a great fit reminding, “it’s not just about real estate sales.”
THE MENTORING TOUCH
Staying in-touch to ensure your sponsors are plugged into EXIT’s resources and their respective offices is natural so you both succeed. Vickie recalls Founder and Chairman, Steve Morris, saying, “Agents who learn more, earn more,” so she always points her sponsors toward the Resource Center, encouraging them to utilize all the amazing tools, tech, and brokerage relationships at their disposal at EXIT.
GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY
Vickie says, “I want to be at the top, but I don’t want to be there alone.” With EXIT’s Formula she has bought a franchise, built agent count through sponsoring (paying expenses via the office income), then sold the office to one of the top agents already plugged into EXIT’s five pillars of success.
REMEMBER
- All it takes is 3
- You’re probably holding yourself back
- Ambassador Training helps conquer fear
- You invite, the broker can explain details
- When people see you’re happy, successful, and proud they naturally want to check out the “why” for themselves
ISCOVER YOUR POTENTIAL WITH EXIT's RESIDUAL CALCULATOR.
Text 4MM to 85377 today!
