EXIT is hitting a milestone anniversary this year, so we caught up with associates that have been with us for the long haul to see what stories they have to share about their time here. First up is Michael Washburn, Regional Owner, EXIT of the Carolinas, with 16 offices throughout North and South Carolina. He’s been with us since October of 2000 and still remembers what started his journey.
There’s a moment in almost every career where you think, “Why am I doing this?” When it’s been this long, it’s more like, “What made you stay?” For Michael, the answer isn’t a single decision, it’s a collection of small moments that added up over more than 25 years with EXIT Realty.
It started, oddly enough, with a folder.
Not a grand presentation or a polished pitch, just a simple white folder with a teal EXIT logo left on a chair by one of his seasoned agents. Inside was a cassette tape labeled “60 Minutes with EXIT.” Michael didn’t even know what EXIT was at the time. In fact, he almost threw it away. But curiosity won out, and somewhere between listening to that tape on repeat during long drives and handing it back, something clicked.
His agent said, “If you don’t do it for you, do it for me.” And so, it was done.
What followed wasn’t instant certainty, but a willingness to explore. A phone call. A conversation. Eventually, a leap grounded in the belief that there might be a better way to build something meaningful in real estate.
At the time, Michael was already working hard, really hard. Running an office open nearly every day of the year, tracking numbers meticulously, and still finding that effort didn’t always equal reward. The industry itself was shifting, experimenting with new models, new structures, and new definitions of success. What stood out to him about EXIT wasn’t just the model, it was the potential for people.
Over the years, that’s what kept him here. Not trends or technology, people.
He’s seen brand-new agents walk into a training room unsure of where to begin and weeks later, they’ve landed their first listing. He’s watched those same agents grow into confident professionals, building businesses, supporting families, and in some cases, creating opportunities they never imagined possible.
There’s also something truly powerful about the ripple effect. He’s watched colleagues use what they’ve built to pay off debt, invest in their futures, support causes they care about and even start entirely new chapters of life.
Obviously, the industry hasn’t stood still. From cassette tapes to AI-driven systems, the tools have changed dramatically. Michael himself is now exploring how technology can support agents in smarter, more efficient ways. But even as innovation accelerates, his perspective stays grounded. Tools can amplify success, but they don’t create it, people do.
And maybe that’s the real reason he stayed. Not because everything stayed the same but because it was never meant to. The relationships, the growth, the chance to build something that lasts beyond a single transaction. Change is constant, especially in a career that spans nearly three decades, but what endures are the people and the ability to recognize that even the smallest moments, like an EXIT folder on a chair, can shape everything that follows.
