EXIT Realty Corp. International is pleased to celebrate EXIT Realty Enterprises’ continued success serving their Silver Spring, Maryland, community, led by franchisee Vincent Ekuban.
Vincent has been working in the real estate industry for 22 years. He started at his father’s independent brokerage but wanted to branch out and open his own office. He was interviewing with several local companies when a trend caught his eye. “I saw all these prominent agents in my city like ‘Special’ Ed Haraway and Connie Stommel switching over to EXIT Realty,” says Vincent, “I had to find out why.” He took a meeting, and after hearing EXIT’s story, his mind was made. “I was completely floored that a company came out with a system like this.”
In 2006, he opened his EXIT Realty Enterprises office. “We started with eight agents and grew to almost 100 agents in our first year using the principles from EXIT Realty Corp. International’s Broker/Owner Training week.” The market was in its peak, and Vincent’s business was booming. However, it wasn’t long before the 2008 financial crisis sent shockwaves through the industry. Vincent witnessed many agents leave real estate altogether. “Having to switch to survival mode in an instant was jarring. But in times like these, it’s on you as the leader to keep everyone moving forward. We got through it together, and now the focus is back on building our brand.”
The cornerstone of Vincent’s leadership has always been education. To him, differentiating yourself as an agent in your marketplace doesn’t mean being the flashiest, it’s being the most knowledgeable. “My father taught me to learn something new about real estate every single day. Keep on top of all the latest industry news and trends. I encourage all my agents to do the same.” Beyond that, Vincent personally trains his agents every Tuesday and Thursday for three hours per day. His teachings not only cover every step of the real estate transaction from start to finish, but also specialized concepts like sponsoring, local real estate investing, and navigating foreclosures and short sales.
On top of the in-house training Vincent offers, he also strongly encourages all his agents attend EXIT Realty’s Annual Convention and the courses offered by EXIT’s corporate trainers. “Angel Tucker’s ‘Personality Profiles’ course was a game changer for me,” says Vincent. “It’s integral to better understanding your clients and other agents, which makes you more effective as a REALTOR®.”
Outside of the office, Vincent hosts happy hours and cookouts to bring his agents and their families together and bond, and every January he holds an elegant awards ceremony to celebrate his agents’ production for the prior year. “It’s nice to have that family atmosphere in which everyone knows each other and isn’t ever afraid to ask for help.”
“When I reflect on my decision to come to EXIT Realty, I’m reminded of my father. He’s a Hall of Fame member on our board of REALTORS®, he does an average of 15 deals per month, he’s helped so many people, and yet at 78 years old he has to work every day to sell real estate. Imagine where he’d be today if he had the opportunity in 1979 to open an EXIT franchise and earn residual income. That opportunity is what made me fall in love with EXIT.”
