I Became Even More

Written by Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Owner of EXIT Realty Nexus with offices in Coon Rapids, Elk River and Isle, MN, this article first appeared in the latest edition of the EXIT Achiever.

A ubiquitous broker is one who is seemingly everywhere and omnipresent for their people. It means being completely present in body, mind and heart, which seldom occurs in this technologically distracted society. Choosing a real estate career with EXIT Realty has not only molded me into a more ubiquitous franchisee and coach for my offices and agents, but it has also helped me become ever-more-present as a husband, father, grandfather, son and brother.

However, life wasn’t always this grand. In 2002, at the age of 46, I was a top producer with the largest desk fee company in the nation when my perceived sense of invincibility took a serious hit. That July, on the day of my wedding anniversary, my wife Bonnie and I started our day early on our chromed-out Harley Davidson motorcycle, visiting our brand new custom home build in the suburbs of Minneapolis. We visited nearby destinations along the way back, and just before midnight I recall her kissing the nape of my neck and saying, “Frankie, I love you so much. What a beautiful day we had together.”

One second I was beaming and thinking how great life was, the next she was yanked from the bike when a piece of her clothing unraveled in the wind and snagged in the rear wheel. I brought the bike to a screeching halt in the dark and sprinted back to her motionless body on the freeway. An on-coming semi didn’t see us, and I wasn’t successful in getting Bonnie’s body completely out of the way as the truck ran over her right leg.

I spent the next four months praying at my wife’s bedside while she was comatose and going through several surgeries in the hopes of having some semblance of recovery from the significant brain injury she incurred. When she finally did come to, she had to re-learn everything we take for granted in our daily lives, and her miraculous recovery took well over a year. And while our prayer circle accumulated, so did other things like mortgage obligations, creditors and my outstanding desk fees. While my real estate production was completely idol, our debt had reached nearly six figures. Not only was I experiencing the fragile balance of a self-employed real estate agent in traditional real estate models; I knew then that I needed to find a better alternative.

I desired something that would first provide more financial independence for my family but also mentor me so that I could more effectively duplicate myself without all the expenses that I experienced in past real estate models. I discovered EXIT Realty in 2004 and immediately joined as an agent. My first-hand experiences with the previous “big box” brands did not even come close to what EXIT provides for their agents, brokers and support personnel. EXIT’s Executive leadership team is always present and seemingly everywhere. They have clearly re­invented real estate and are developing the new era of ubiquitous brokers. EXIT’s five pillars of success, coupled with their unique no desk-fee, single-level residual Formula, absolutely trumps any model in existence in my experience. Moreover, I’m blessed to have duplicated myself and mentored several agents who have since become managing partners within our own firm. They too are becoming ubiquitous brokers.

For me, EXIT has removed the glass ceiling so each and every member of our organization has the same capabilities to earn much more than 100 percent without needing to take the risk and pay the fees and the over-head associated with traditional real estate models. On behalf of my precious wife Bonnie, our children, grandchildren and agents; thank you Steve Morris, Founder of EXIT Realty Corp International. Thank you EXIT nation for your support and guidance which allows each of us to stretch, grow and become even more for our industry, families and society.