WHAT I KNOW NOW

BY MELANIE ROBITAILLE SR. STAFF WRITER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Surpassing 20 years in real estate is bound to make anyone look back on their career. Franchisee, Howard Kronthal is proud of all he’s accomplished so far, but even he concedes he would probably do some things differently, like doing more training.

“In my earlier years, when I was really focused on buyers and sellers, I heard about the Brian Buffini program. I always saw a lot of top agents doing it, but never really took that leap of faith. I wish I would’ve at the time because that would’ve probably changed my trajectory tenfold. It gives me a platform to be able to train agents instead of them learning the hard way, like I did.” Howard admitted.

The year after Howard opened his second EXIT Success Realty office in West Virginia, Brian Buffini was a speaker at EXIT’s 2017 Convention in Grapevine, TX, and to Howard it was a sign saying, “The partnership with EXIT Realty brought it to the forefront. It’s really helping my agents with the skills they need to be successful in today’s real estate business, and it has helped me in the development of my office culture, as well as with recruiting and retention.”

He became a Buffini Certified Trainer explaining, “It’s very easy and well worth it for a minimal cost,” and he enjoys being both mentor and student. Many of his top agents had already completed the course when it was known as Peak Producers, and several are interested in the Pathway to Mastery courses so he’s now working on that certification as well. For now, he offers the course each quarter to all new agents through his Martinsburg location, with virtual backups just in case of absences. It’s a next step to onboarding agents, after they become acquainted with EXIT’s systems and Resource Center.

Howard recommends enrolling a minimum of three agents to foster sharing together, and he also motivates participants saying, “I incentivize it, especially for the new agents because they’re spending a lot of money joining local boards, and startup costs can be quite expensive. They pay upfront, but then for the next six months, for every home they close, I give them $100 back, up to $600. They can actually make a couple hundred bucks because most agents who go through the course and use the program, close at least one house and have two or three under contract before the course is over.”

Howard knows what benefits one agent, benefits the entire EXIT Success Realty brand. A strong proponent of constant improvement, he ultimately believes that fortune favors those forever learners who embrace the new, insisting they’ll always be leaps and bounds ahead, “Because if you’re not learning and advancing in your business and in your career, somebody else is.”