‘How I Knew It Was Time to Grow from Sales Star to Brokerage Owner’

Many successful real estate agents have invested a great deal of time and effort into building their sales career. They’ve developed skills, helped buyers and sellers achieve their goals, and reached a level of production many can’t fathom.

But for some, there’s a gnawing drive to do something more. Something different. Something new. They want to own a brokerage themselves.

Three such real estate stars reveal how they decided to start their own brokerage – and why they can’t imagine doing anything else.

1. “I felt drawn to support other business owners, to create a collaborative culture of top producers.”

Laura Reid earned her real estate license in 2006 and was a top producer from the start. The daughter of entrepreneurs – her parents built a successful construction company – Reid knew she was naturally good at sales but that she also loved business entrepreneurship.

“I felt drawn to support other business owners, to create a collaborative culture of top producers, because it was already inherent in me,” Reid says. “When I started looking at my sales career, I began thinking, ‘What’s next?’ I wanted to do more. I wanted to soar with eagles. I was tired of being in brokerages that had no barriers to entry. I wanted to create a better environment for agents like myself, who are full-time, career-driven and ethical.”

In 2012, Reid opened RE/MAX Purpose Driven and then later RE/MAX Inspire, located in the midlands and low country of South Carolina. A producing broker, she remains passionate about sales but says she’s just as passionate about helping other entrepreneurial business owners.

“I can’t believe how much I’ve grown on this journey. So much learning goes into being a broker/owner because there are a lot of moving pieces,” says Reid, whose offices average 20 transaction sides per agent. “I think my agents see me constantly improving. That mentality of surrounding yourself with the best will inspire you to be the best. We collaborate and we celebrate our successes.”

Reid says she couldn’t have imagined how challenging this journey would be – or how equally fulfilling and rewarding it is.

“We are more than a brokerage,” she says. “We do life together. We are blessed to have each other and this amazing network.”

2. “I realized the brokerage I was working for wasn’t making me more successful; I was.”

For Alexis Thompson, brokerage ownership wasn’t something she ever considered. She earned her real estate license in 2010 and worked for several homebuilders and brands as she and her husband moved around the country. Eventually, she settled in Pennsylvania and joined the closest RE/MAX brokerage – more than an hour away.

Looking to avoid the commute, she switched to a virtual brokerage. And that’s when she started examining her career.

“My husband kept pushing me to open a brokerage, saying I could do it myself,” she says. “I thought, ‘I’m never opening up my own brokerage. Too many headaches.’ Then one day, I looked into it. I called RE/MAX in October 2019 and then opened my brokerage only a few months later in December.”

Thompson says she approached the whole thing logically. She took into account her successes as an agent, her marketing acumen and, of course, the financial aspects.

“I made a spreadsheet of the pros and cons. I looked at what I made. Where did all the leads come from? They came from buying leads and 90% from referrals. I realized the brokerage I was working for wasn’t making me more successful; I was.”

That’s when she knew she could do it. Thompson, who calls herself very forthcoming, open and focused on community, says she’s always been good at goal setting and organization. Because of that, she’s developed systems she believes in and loves sharing them with others.

Her focus on mentorship was strengthened by the sales coaching she received when working with award-winning custom home builders. It helped take her sales to a whole different level, but it also empowered her to pass it on.

“That coaching encouraged me to coach others,” Thompson says. “So when I first started talking to RE/MAX, they showed me the coaching, technology and support they offer. It made me realize my agents and I would have the resources we need at RE/MAX.”

As for her decision to become a brokerage owner, Thompson says she couldn’t be happier and offers advice to anyone considering making the jump.

“Navigating this pandemic with strong sales, motivated real estate agents and strong leadership has proven to me that if you want to open a brokerage yourself, you need to go for it,” says Thompson, who owns RE/MAX Lake & Country in Pennsylvania. “I opened [just before COVID-19 started], but already I have learned how to budget, how to scale back, where not to spend the money, and where I need to be in order to make the next level.”

3. “I knew my real estate background and my hustle attitude would get me there.”

Mike Safiedine admits that entrepreneurship doesn’t necessarily come easily to him. Describing himself as a dreamer who turns dreams into plans, Safiedine moved to California, became a real estate agent and eventually opened his own franchise, building it from the ground up. When it came time for his former broker/owner to retire, Safiedine bought his office too.

He now owns RE/MAX Connections, with two locations in California.

“For me, I knew I didn’t have a higher education. But I knew my real estate background and my hustle attitude would get me there,” he says of finding career success.

To become more structured, Safiedine sought coaching and mentorship. That same drive to improve and build upon existing skills is what ultimately led to his transition into brokerage ownership. His ambitious personality – he confesses he always wants to be No. 1 – didn’t hurt either.

“That’s what I bring to my office: me,” he says. “I didn’t bring just another setup. I’m always trying to be the better version of myself. And I’m always trying to bring that to my company.”

Pointing to his strong moral compass, Safiedine says when it comes to business, he has non-negotiables, including transparency, honesty, morals and ethics. At the end of the day, he says, everyone has to look in the mirror and be authentic. To that end, he suggests any agent considering brokerage ownership to start asking themselves some tough questions.

“Begin with the end in mind,” he says. “You have to know where you want to be and why you’re doing it. Use it to your advantage.”

As for his own career trajectory, Safiedine’s looking to grow even more. Just two years into being a franchise owner, he’s looking for an additional challenge.

“I can’t wait to get my hands on another office,” he says. “I never thought I’d say those words.”

Agents looking to transition to franchise ownership can learn more about opportunities in their area by visiting remax-franchise.com or calling 800.525.7452. RE/MAX, a leading global real estate franchisor, has been expertly helping agents and broker/owners build their businesses for 47 years.

This is not an offer of a franchise.  Any franchise offer is made only after a Franchise Disclosure Document has been delivered to you before the sale in compliance with applicable law.   RE/MAX, LLC, 5075 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, CO 80237, 1.303.770-5531.  

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.