VITALS:
EXIT Realty Corp. International
Years in business: 25-plus
Size: 600-plus offices and 20,000 agents
Region Served: U.S. and Canada
2021 Sales Volume: $27 billion-plus
2020 Transactions: 100,000-plus
Lori Muller
President
U.S. Division
EXIT Realty Corp. International | https://www.joinexitrealty.com
Lori Muller didn’t necessarily have “the calling” to work in real estate, but saw the industry as an opportunity to start her own business without a lot of financial burden.
Coming from a career in door-to-door sales for almost a decade, Muller had already learned that true entrepreneurship is when you can only count on one’s self to close the sale, make the money and pay the bills.
“This meant that I had to invest in myself to get better at my craft each day,” she says. “When I looked at real estate, it came at a time in my life when I was going through a divorce with a child under three years old. I was driven by creating a life for my child that would position her to be open to taking risks and believing in herself humbly.”
Now, with more than 20 years in the business, Muller has held many titles including agent, team leader, broker/owner and regional director. Today, she has a seat at the executive level as president of the U.S. Division for EXIT Realty Corp. International.
Tell us about the company’s strategy for 2022.
Lori Muller: Our strategy for 2022 is to make sure that we, as a company, are being mindful of “The Great Resignation” and having authentic and impactful conversations with professionals who are looking for a career change, as well as experienced real estate professionals across the country who are looking for their forever brokerage. We are investing in our people to empower and inspire them to grow both personally and professionally, working alongside them as their guide. We are focused on sharing the EXIT Realty formula with leaders across the country who are looking to build people, themselves and a legacy for their families.
What made you successful as a female broker/owner?
LM: I can remember the day that I was “fired” from my brokerage because they found out that I had purchased a franchise. At the time, my team and I were working out of a model home in a subdivision that we were representing, so I already had one foot out the door. My team continued to push me to open my own brokerage. They told me that they would follow me, and that they loved working with the team, so I took the leap.
I have always put people first. When I decided to become a brokerage owner, I looked at it from the perspective of what was best for the agents and the consumers. As an executive with EXIT Realty, our brand takes that same approach of putting people before profit, because when people come first, the profit will follow.
You are a past president of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® for Wisconsin and part of the organization’s national executive committee. How do you champion women in your firm?
LM: As a brand, we are always looking for the most qualified person to move forward and grow with us, and today, 65% of the people who hold executive roles with EXIT Realty Corp. International are women, including our co-chair, our COO and the CEO of our Canadian organization. Personally, I do have a soft spot for seeing more women take on leadership and ownership roles. I have a special group of female owners I coach called “Women Warriors,” and we help and support each other both personally and professionally. We pour into each other so that we can then pour into others. Leaders need to be reignited and energized. That is the benefit of having a mentoring group you can collaborate with and having a safe environment to do so.
What is your best advice for women who want to rise to the top?
LM: As women, we tend to put ourselves last. We focus on helping everyone else and then, when and if there is time, we do something for ourselves. My advice to any woman who has a dream and wants to follow it is to believe in yourself. You can do it! Do not let anyone or anything stop you from pursuing your dreams. You can have a family, kids, a supportive partner, friends and a career that you love. One of my favorite quotes that I share with people all the time is, “Fear is temporary, but regret is forever.”
Once you begin to invest in yourself, you will grow, and as you grow, others will grow with you. When one grows, we all grow. When you invest in yourself, it gives you the ability to reinvest into others. Rising to the top or being a leader is not about the title. Leadership is about listening to people. When you listen, it gives you the ability to impact people’s lives, inspire them and influence them to believe in themselves. That’s what leadership truly is.
What is the company’s unique value proposition?
LM: Our brand, EXIT Realty, was the creative genius of Steve Morris, our founder and chairman. The EXIT formula offers single-level residual income that is not based on profit sharing, stock markets or revenue share. Agents can make more than 100%, and most times, when we tell them this, they ask how it is even possible. It is, and we can show them. In addition to that, we have retirement/lifestyle and beneficiary benefits. To date, EXIT Realty Corp. International has paid out over half a billion dollars in single-level residuals to our associates across the U.S. and Canada.
How did the pandemic change the way you work?
LM: The pandemic was a game-changer in terms of the number of people I could touch daily. Thanks to remote technology, I could literally be in five different states in one day. I could hop into brokerage office meetings, I could speak at multiple events on the same day, and I could coach and mentor large groups across the country at the same time. Prior to the pandemic, when someone said, “Let’s hop on a video call,” it wasn’t as well accepted—and now, it is almost expected. One thing people have come to miss with video is the true human connection, because the ability to touch someone and give them a hug or pat them on the back is not the same through video.
Keith Loria is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
