Mike Pappas Shares Secrets to Supporting Top Agents at CEO Exchange

Ask not what your agents can do for you—ask what you can do for your agents.

While not nearly as high-profile or high-stakes as JFK’s 1961 call to civic action, flipping the service paradigm is just as essential in real estate as it is in the body politic. In 2023, brokerages are fast discovering that agents—especially motivated top-performers—are highly discerning when choosing where they hang their license. Additionally, the next generation of mega producers have their own expectations for the types of services their company should provide, and won’t be waiting around for less forward-thinking brokerages to add them.

At RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange taking place September 5 – 7 at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C, a panel of world-leading real estate executives will detail exactly the kinds of resources and services needed to build a top brokerage—now, and for decades to come—on a panel titled “Restructuring Agent Services and Support: How to Listen to Your Agents and Learn.”

Among these experts is Mike Pappas, CEO of the Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties in Florida, who knows more than almost anyone about what it takes to attract the highest caliber of agent. In 2023, Keyes acquired two companies, adding more than 150 agents (accounting for $400 million in sales) to its umbrella.

On both occasions, services and agent support were central to the success of the merger. When explaining why he chose to join Keyes, Nick Rotenbeger, who founded Boca Realty (now the Boca East branch of Keyes) cited Pappas’ commitment to his people, along with a plethora of resources he offers his agents.

“Keyes gives us an opportunity to reach new heights through its local and global network, technology and marketing,” he told South Florida Agent Magazine in June. “The Keyes leadership team operates with the highest ethical standards and emphasizes its people and the communities it serves.”

And Pappas understands that supporting agents is a lot more than throwing the fanciest tech stack at them. Keyes is a family company above all else (Pappas’ daughter, Christina, was recently named president), and understanding how to build support around authentic values is far more important in attracting and retaining agents than having a shiny object for them to chase.

“As a family-owned, independent firm with a strong culture, we often stand out when owners of boutique brokerages are considering such partners,” Pappas said earlier this year.

While that dynamic will look different for each individual company, the wisdom that Pappas can share, with an incredibly deep understanding of relationships in such a relationship-centric industry, is invaluable.

RISMedia’s 35th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange will gather the industry’s top minds to discuss the most critical trends and issues impacting the year so far, and outline strategies for success in the fourth quarter and into 2024. More than 100 brokerage executives and industry experts featured in over 25 panel discussions and presentations will help you make sense of what’s transpired so far in 2023, and share tangible advice for defining your own destiny moving forward.

For the complete agenda and speaker lineup, please visit our event page. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.

2023 RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange sponsors include:

Title Sponsor

RE/MAX

Diamond Sponsors

Real Estate Webmasters
Realty ONE Group
Colibri Real Estate

Master Sponsors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Bright MLS
Buffini & Company
Constellation1
EXIT Realty
Inside Real Estate
Lone Wolf Technologies
National Association of REALTORS®