No. 1 RE/MAX Team Surpasses $1B in Sales Volume in 2021

In 2004, Gary Ashton set out with a goal to find success through collaboration. After assembling a team – which has amassed to 180 members over time – alongside managing broker and fellow team leader Debra Beagle, the duo sees how rewarding collective growth can be.

In 2021, The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage in Nashville, Tennessee, exceeded a monumental goal together, reaching $1.2B in sales volume by November and surpassing their previous year’s volume by 30%. It’s also marks the third year the team has been the No. 1 RE/MAX team in the world.

 “Reaching this milestone is a tremendous win for our team,” Ashton says. “Our success can be attributed to a productive environment and the determination of our agents.”

Proving there can be strength in numbers, Ashton and Beagle share their methodology for fellow team leaders looking to see exponential growth.

Grow sustainably

Expanding a team means onboarding new agents. But according to Beagle, leaders must have resources in place to support new and existing agents while scaling their business sustainably.

“The bigger your team gets, the more factors there are to consider to keep everyone productive and happy. As the leaders, we make strategic choices to support our agents, like bringing additional staffing on board to assist them,” Beagle says.

Beagle refers to agent count milestones as “growth spurts,” and explains that new parameters come with each.

“We’ve recognized major growth spurts when reaching 70, 90, 125, 150 and then 180 total agents. You’ll need to increase infrastructure for retention and to preserve a positive culture,” she adds.

Both Beagle and Ashton warn that the addition of new team members, however, cannot come at the cost of company culture. Regular touch bases, accessible leaders, open channels of communication and office camaraderie help maintain a niche environment among a larger-scale operation.

“Our team may grow in size, but that’s why we take steps to maintain the culture of a small team,” Ashton says.

Invest in resources

“Whenever we adopt new technology or try out a new platform, [Debra and I] are making the investment up front for our office. It’s all about having a vision and crafting a plan,” Ashton says. “We try out new things all the time that help us stay one step ahead of the competition.”

In addition to the RE/MAX resources available to their agents – including RE/MAX University, the First app and Megaphone – Ashton and Beagle also cite the value the RE/MAX brand name brings to their team.

“RE/MAX is a worldwide brand. Global recognition coupled with our powerful agents is what allows us to be successful,” Ashton says. “Our reputation is how we’re locally aligned with organizations like the NFL and NHL.”

“Due to their networking, our agents do a lot of referrals around the country and globally,” Beagle adds.

Create synergy

Both team leaders agree their recent synchronized victory wouldn’t have happened without commitment and hard work from their passionate agents.

“Agents have to be willing to work together as a team. Together, there is significantly more power, more wisdom, and more resources available to everyone. Those who join a team have to be open-minded and excited to work alongside others,” Ashton says.

Beagle explains that she and Ashton have a synergy with their team members that must be maintained to stay, and become increasingly more, productive. Transparency and steadfast support upkeep the energy and keep everyone working toward shared goals.

“We’re in this together and we’re better together,” Beagle says.

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