Keller Williams hs eXp for New Licensee

[Ben Morand]

Hi guys!

My name is Ben Morand. I am currently a second-year Finance student at the University of Florida with a minor in Economics and working towards a combined Masters degree in International Business. I have been working towards getting my Sales Associate license for the past few weeks now and I have some questions that are specific to my situation (working as an agent while in college).

In my quest to find the right broker, I have come to 2 major favorites (from what I’ve heard): Keller Williams and eXp.

I have heard some about each and I know that they are completely different but I am wondering if anyone can give me an unbiased comparison of both in terms of the following:

- Training for new agents

- Compensation

- Flexibility (I live in Gainesville, FL for school but come home for summers to Orlando, FL)

- Daily/weekly schedule

- Benefits

- Extra features (marketing help, etc.)

Thanks so much guys!

Ben

[Charlie MacPherson]

@Ben Morand  My wife and I recently moved from our home in Massachusetts, where I was with C21, to Maine.  I got my Maine RE license via reciprocity in April, 2019 and signed on with KW in S. Portland.  I had heard great things about the support and training and they had a good story to tell about being the #1 agency in Maine.  Their tech was also very good.

Like a lot of things, it sounds good if you say it fast.

My experience with KW was ABYSMAL.  Once they had my signature, they assigned me a "guide" of sorts.  A 20-something kid less than half my age who was working on getting his RE license.  Zero real world experience and THIS is my guide?  My go-to guy??

Looking for help with the amazing training menu?  Good luck getting pointed in the right direction.  The only thing he hammered home was that I should take the 1-day "Ignite" class - which turned out to be nothing more than a huge pitch for the 8-week BOLD class.  Ignite was free (and largely content free as well), but Bold was $800.00.

The entire tenor of the event was very cult-like.  Lots of rah-rah and lots of recognition for those who had gone through multiple Bold sessions.  As I recall, there was one agent, recognized with thunderous applause, who had completed 7 Bold workshops and was about to do #8.

When it came time to write an offer for our new home, I was completely ghosted.  There was a competing offer on the table, so speed was important, but I couldn't get emails, texts or phone calls returned.  The only answer was to find another KW agent to have him help me.  Maine forms, procedures and terminology are very different than they are in Mass, so I really needed the help on this first offer.

This isn't to slam KW as a company.  I know that other agents will have a FAR better experience with other KW offices.  Otherwise, they'd never survive - but this was my first-hand experience.  Others have commented that this particular office has a reputation for being focused on the agent count above all else and my experience bears that out.

I started interviewing with other agencies.  Bean Group, Better Homes & Gardens, VHB (small, but strong local group) and EXP and a solo practitioner in a small town.  I also factored in what I knew from C21.  It turned out that I just made more money with EXP.  

I called and interviewed with the EXP Designated Managing Broker.  That woman gave me more help in two phone calls than I got in 7 months with KW.  With that help, I was able to write a successful offer and my wife and I are happily ensconced in our new home in China.

That support from the DB has continued.  We have a daily meeting in our virtual world (I've attended many in my PJs!), where were free to kick around ideas and ask questions.  Outside of those meetings, I still get a lot of support from her.  We use Workplace (a Facebook product) and we can call or IM her through it.

A lot of people are put off by EXP agents recruiting for their "downline" (boy does that word that word make me cringe).  I was too and I was pretty vocal here on BP about it.  But when the time came to make a move away from KW, I had to make the best decision for me.  I put my prejudice aside and was very pleasantly surprised by the interview. 

I signed on with EXP in October 2019 and have not looked back. 

I ignore the recruiting bit altogether.  Stock purchases too.  I just want to help clients buy and sell real estate and EXP gives me the tools and support I need to do that.

I hope that helps with your decision.