Having spent the past decade meticulously curating an extensive list of highly skilled, detail-oriented and informed real estate agents, successful owner of San Diego Homes and Estates Rich Johnson now stands among the top in the local housing market.
With his rise, Rich credits the talent of his agents, noting their ability to match the ever-changing real estate landscape as large factor in their overall success.
For this reason, in April 2023 Rich made the decision to move his team from Windermere Homes and Estates to eXp Realty, a transition he is confident and hopeful will propel him and his agents into the next realm of property sales.
“It is a modern, sustainable platform as opposed to the old school brokerage. It is a forward, progressive move,” Rich said.
Enabling his agents to be successful is a vital part in Rich’s day-to-day role. Giving them tools to navigate the market is critical and a step he is taking to ensure sales continue even as the market reaches a rocky point.
“This company has built a platform that enables agents to access resources, training, coaching, education, affiliate services. The agents have so much at their fingertips,” Rich said.
For Rich, this move also means shifting the old-school view on real estate and bringing in new initiatives to eXp, such as office space for meetings, training, paperwork and day-to-day changes, that make necessary functions simpler.
In addition, Rich is focusing on how he can help his agents make more money during these challenging market conditions. This initiative not only bolsters the agents’ selling power, but it creates a market in which the client and brokerage walk away happy.
“We successfully transitioned over 150 agents, we want to bring opportunity to agents so they can do more transactions and that is a primary feature that eXp brings us,” Rich said. “It is one brokerage, but it’s a national company, and that enables us to provide more exposure and opportunity.”
As Rich explained, the time is now when it comes to paving the way for the next wave of real estate. Ditching the conventional view and considering alternative offerings for his agents has been a leap.
“In the traditional real estate space, we are going through a market that is unlike any other we have been through. There is no inventory, so agents are looking for opportunities to get listings and represent buyers.
“The premise of my move was to be able to go from a traditional system to a company that is profitable, has money in the bank and lets the agents be better armed,” he said.
One of the alternative offerings in talks currently is the idea of solar power, a concept that is ramping up both in conversation and implementation across San Diego and beyond.
“There is a direct relationship between home ownership and solar. Everything in the space, whether it’s electric cars or reducing energy bills, solar is a hot topic. It is something that is evolving very quickly,” Rich said. “We are examining this closely; this is one of several opportunities for collaboration and growth that eXp will offer.”
SolarGuru Energy, LLC, a national solar energy company with a local branch, is among San Diego’s largest providers. With offerings such as solar, roofing, battery installation and chargers, SolarGuru has formed an understanding of the San Diego landscape and knows what homeowners need and want.
“We have proven that we have a similar model to eXp in the sense that we are able to expand across the country and use networks to build business. The way we work and how eXp works, there is a lot of synergy in the models,” Miguel Hart of SolarGuru said.
In addition to understanding the rapidly evolving solar landscape, the Solar Guru team members are experts in NEM 3.0 guidelines, California’s new solar policy. Hart explained that because of the complexity of the guidelines, streamlining this for clients, homeowners, business owners and agents is vital.
“We can provide an easy way for agents to stay in touch with their clients by giving them a huge value of being the trusted solar experts. A partnership with eXp would allow the agents to be the constant point of contact for homeowners,” Hart said.
Susan Sullivan, a solar pro Realtor with a deep understanding of both markets, has been a leading force in the conversation of collaboration between SolarGuru and eXp.
“This whole solar pro Realtor concept came to be because of my connection to each company,” Sullivan said.
“I spearheaded the relationship by working in both industries and having it become successful,” she added, noting that having access to solar information has been a way to stay in service to her real estate contacts. “Promoting clean energy is good for business and good for the planet in any profession.”
Rich’s vision of forming partnerships with other forward-thinking companies in San Diego County is a crucial part of his grand plan to empower his agents. By collaborating with these companies, Rich aims to create a network of mutual support, resources and opportunities that will enhance the capabilities of his agents.
“There is nobody that is doing more transactions than eXp, or growing faster than eXp,” Rich said. “I feel eXp offers the best solution for the vast majority of agents, such as health care, benefits and agent compensation.”
Information on Rich’s work with eXp can be found at life.exprealty.com/rich-johnson-san-diego-homes-estates-joins-exp-realty.
For information on working with eXp and to learn more about the company as a whole, visit life.exprealty.com.
