If an attitude of gratitude is what it takes to attract your tribe, then Sales Representative, Dee Barino, of EXIT Landmark Realty, has amassed nothing short of an astounding following.
Celebrated as EXIT Realty’s Top Sponsor at the corporation’s Annual Convention for the last two years in a row, Dee is responsible for introducing over 100 real estate professionals to EXIT’s world of possibilities. And if that wasn’t enough, she has achieved all this while earning a personal, six-figure sales income and spearheading her Barino Team of agents.
“Dee is one of those amazing people who, when you see something in them, they bring it out in full force! She believes in the people she introduces into EXIT and believes this will be a better way of life for them. I am so proud of how much she has grown, but even more so of how much she has helped others,” explained EXIT Realty C.E.O. and mentor of mentors, Tami Bonnell, who has motivated Dee throughout her EXIT career.
What Dee, and other EXIT professionals tap into is the corporation’s next-level business model, generating residual income through sponsoring. This echelon of EXIT’s membership introduces and onboards new agents, receiving a single-level bonus as a thank you from EXIT Realty Corp. International for helping to grow the company. This multifaceted business model evolves with each sponsor, like Dee, and converts into both retirement and beneficiary benefits.
“The residual income business model has changed my outlook on retirement completely. I’m able to see an end in sight or something of its kind and it makes real estate as viable as any other income stream,” Dee expressed. “When a company appreciates its members who help its growth, and invest back into those members, it solidifies a future not only for itself, but for everyone involved.”
Although Dee’s story is that of no ordinary REALTOR®, what comes as a surprise to many is that there’s no extraordinary secret to her success. She attributes her accomplishments to three things: doing what she loves, being consistent, and always putting her spirituality first.
“I don’t chase money, I chase dreams, so I can change lives. I know the money will come,” Dee mused. “I don’t need the whole pie, I just need a piece of it. There’s enough money out there for everyone, and when everyone is happy the world is a better place.”
With the heart of a mentor, Dee regularly incentivizes those around her, sharing the wealth, even sponsorships on occasion, with those who help her, saying, “That’s how I pay it forward. And when they see how strong I am with sponsoring, one day they’ll likely sponsor too.
Training is threaded into the fibre of Dee’s sponsoring practices, where she uses both one-on-one and group events of varying levels to connect with and ensure the continued success of those whom she sponsors. This innate concern for the well-being of others is at the core of EXIT Realty’s remarkable business culture, and the foundation that sets it apart from any other brand in the industry.
“I hold one-on-one training sessions with each member of my team, and learn everyone’s personality, because each personality requires something different. I want to ensure everyone gets the training which will advance them to the areas of their concerns and/or desires,” Dee explained. “I lead by example and make myself available to my team, or I ensure they’re introduced to a member of the organization who can help. It’s important to let them all know that I’m there for them.”
But a big-picture thinker such as Dee doesn’t just stop at training and helping her own team members, she reaches out to the world knocking on real estate’s door. Dee hosts regular study groups in the local community to help those preparing for or struggling to pass the state licensing exam. Public outreach like this and the notoriety of her success, even among non-EXIT agents, make her one to watch, which is exactly what happened with her 100th sponsor:
“She had been following me for years and informed me several times that she was going to get licensed,” Dee recalled. “She kept me informed every step of the way and once she passed the PSI exam, we had a casual conversation about the business. I call it a conversation because I treat it just as if it was one that I would have with a friend, where I’m not just talking about EXIT, but myself as a team lead. She told me she planned to interview with another broker as well but never made it to that appointment.”
Personal attention like this is something also fostered at the brokerage level by her Broker/Owner, Bernadette Cole, who has an innate ability to see what makes people tick and saw Dee’s potential almost immediately.
“Dee was a top producer with a 50-agent office that I acquired. She, like the rest of the agents, had the choice to switch but decided to join,” Bernadette recalled. “Everyone understood the idea of sponsoring, but she pretty much seized the opportunity right away. She understood that this was another way that she could expand as a business person; that it was another avenue that she didn’t have before. She’s really grown into it over the last three or four years where she’s become somewhat of a master at it.”
By working smarter together, Dee and Bernadette coordinate their training efforts, build upon the brokerage foundation and ensure that everything is complementary to what the other is doing.
“I do a lot of one-on-one coaching and mentoring, and even though Dee has this group of people she works with, she often attends the one-on-one that I’m doing so we’re supporting one another. We work together so we each provide value which adds to the other,” Bernadette explained. “As a brokerage we’re setting the foundation for the office. When we coordinate our efforts, Dee is able to take that foundation and build on it, which creates more productivity and more camaraderie.”
But to achieve this balance Bernadette admits that it’s vital for owners to set aside ego, be of an open mind and have confidence in their own role. By following this principle, herself, she has made it possible for Dee to really spread her wings and realize her true strength as a leader allowing for the exponential growth of both of their businesses.
“Dee’s enthusiasm has helped greatly. Since the original office acquisition, we’ve grown to over 100 agents now, with some of the top-ranking agents within our region. Others are seeing her success. They may not be sponsoring at a similar level, but the apprehension is gone in seeing her so successful,” Bernadette shared. “She’s really taken it and run with it. Before she was sharing and giving ideas, now she’s bouncing things off me. By collaborating like this we’re not duplicating efforts. She plugs into what the office is doing and supplements that.”
More than a do-gooder, Dee is a fierce go-getter with an entrepreneurial spirit, and she believes in good old-fashioned hard work. So where does an over-achiever like Dee Barino aim to go from here? “Higher,” she said, “I will continue to sponsor agents and grow my team. My desire is to have EXIT’s Rookie of The Year be one of my sponsors. I’ve worked hard to get to this point in my life. Years ago, I set a goal to work for myself. To have accomplished that and create a future for my family makes me feel great. I receive so much positive feedback, which adds to my peace of mind and confirms, for me, that I’m on the right path.”
