EXIT Realty Corp. International today announced that the subfranchisor rights for the State of Illinois have been awarded to Bill Pankonin.
Pankonin is the powerhouse Regional Owner of EXIT Realty Upper Midwest comprised of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. With the addition of Illinois, the region now represents a population of almost 30 million.
Pankonin is a second-generation REALTOR® born and raised in the midwest who joined EXIT Realty as a Franchisee in 2005. “I investigated the major franchise brands looking for the one that best fit my demographics, now and in the future and most closely aligned with my beliefs. That brand was EXIT Realty. I decided EXIT was right for me and my agents because it offered what my father’s business couldn’t; the opportunity for the agents to share in helping to grow the business and a retirement plan,” he said.
Pankonin quickly became involved in regional development leading to EXIT Realty Upper Midwest being named Region of the Year by EXIT Realty Corp. International in 2014. Today EXIT Realty Upper Midwest is the fastest growing real estate franchise company in that part of the country. “We border Illinois on two sides so acquiring the rights to that State was the next logical move for us. Our initial expansion is planned from across the Iowa and Wisconsin borders,” said Pankonin. “Our experience shows that we can double the existing office count during our first year like we did in the other states.”
Pankonin focuses not only on growth in office count but also in developing existing franchise owners and real estate agents which leads to superior stability and retention in the region. Frequent leadership and training events are held such as the “Elevate Your Real Estate Career in 2018” event scheduled for tomorrow in Chicago where Pankonin will be joined by EXIT Realty Corp. International U.S. Divisional President, Craig Witt who will be speaking on industry trends, and Vice President of Technology Engagement, Annette Anthony who will be conducting a technology training workshop. The event is open to the real estate public at large and those interested in more information should contact 612-414-4022.
“EXIT Realty Corp. International is proud to award the subfranchisor rights to Illinois to Bill Pankonin. Bill and his team are doing a tremendous job of building and leading and with the headquarters for the National Association of REALTORS® being located in Chicago, it’s a great state to build,” said Tami Bonnell, CEO, EXIT Realty Corp. International.
“We are excited to welcome the EXIT Realty agents from Illinois to the EXIT Realty Upper Midwest family and look forward making our mark together,” said Pankonin.
