How does a single-location brokerage in a city of about 76,000 people close more than 3,300 ends in one year with 100 agents? How does that same brokerage attract one in four agents on the board to work there? How do they rise to the level of top brokerage in the brand across the U.S. and Canada and maintain that position for four consecutive years? According to Broker/Owner, Parise Cormier, “It’s about helping others. It’s not about helping yourself. This business is about helping others whether selling their house, buying their house or building a real estate career. At the end of the day, the awards and money are just a byproduct.”
Buying a real estate franchise wasn’t on Parise’s radar four years into her sales career; she just wanted help to build her business. “When I started in 1996, they gave me a city directory and I was making cold calls, street by street. I reached out to successful peers, but they didn’t seem to want to help me succeed. So, when I heard about the EXIT model, I thought wow, this is cool.”
EXIT Realty was establishing its footprint in eastern Canada in the early 2000’s with its revolutionary by-invitation-only business model offering a built-in mentorship incentive. “At EXIT, I thought people would want to help each other because with the opportunity to earn single-level residual income, the more you help, the more you prosper. And that’s the way I live my life, not just financially but in all ways. It seemed like a good fit,” Parise remembers.
Parise opened her EXIT Realty Associates brokerage in the greater Moncton, New Brunswick area in 2000 and soon found herself stretched thin when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She leaned on sales representative André Malenfant for support. “He took on more and more responsibilities,” she recalls, “He took a liking to leading people and the role of manager. One day, we decided he was ready to stop producing and embrace this role full-time. And that’s how everybody grew. And grew.”
The tipping point for Parise’s office occurred when she hit the 25-agent mark. Doubters in the community started paying attention. “The vibe changed from skepticism over something new to ‘something’s happening over there’. We were following all the EXIT trainings. We followed how the leadership at EXIT was guiding us to do things. Then we attracted agents, our agents did well, and our good agents were getting noticed and like attracts like. It’s not about me; it’s about what our agents have accomplished.”
The agents in Parise’s office also took advantage of the opportunity at EXIT to introduce agents to the brokerage and earn a thank you bonus from the corporate office for helping the company grow. “Now the brokerage is growing organically from within,” she says. “The people who get the concept of earning passive income, get EXIT.”
Another constant source of help was EXIT’s corporate office including now-CEO for Canada, Joyce Paron. “Head office now is the same as head office then. I can pick up the phone and call Joyce. When I call head office I get put through to whomever I need to talk to. They’ve been there for me all these years. They’ve led me and given me what I needed – training – you name it, they’ve had my back. Their focus has always been on building people and helping them grow.”
Support and collaboration don’t end with the corporate office. Parise is part of a network of successful, supportive franchisees across the U.S. and Canada who are willing to lend a hand and strategize on what’s working and not. “We each have our own businesses to run, but when we get together or when someone has a problem or a question, we never hesitate.” Recently Parise’s office was implementing a new accounting system and a nearby EXIT Realty office who uses that system lent their administrator to Parise for a day to help with the transition. “That means a lot and it’s always like that,” she says, “If I can help somebody, I’ll help them and if they can help me, they do.”
Even though EXIT Realty Associates has reached and sustained the number one position in the EXIT brand, Parise is still focused on unfinished business. “We’re not done,” she says. “We had really, really big years through the pandemic – it was as if the whole real estate industry was on steroids. We have systems in place now for the crazy times so I think we can ramp it up and be more strategic to attract more agents who consistently produce at that level.”
Parise’s strategy for growth involves not only attracting just any producing agents, but the right ones to fit the culture she has so carefully built. “EXIT is a different breed. Our culture is based on love and caring and we’re welcoming. All these adjectives are what make EXIT, but everybody is not made for EXIT. The people who have EXIT engrained in their hearts are in it for the long run. There’s nothing else like it.”
As seen in Buzz Magazine. Reproduced with permission.
