We recently connected with Stephanie Truong and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I have made was moving my Real Estate business from Coldwell Banker to eXp Realty in 2020. I’ve been licensed in the business a little over 3 years now. I remember the day when I decided to make the switch. I called my husband and told him I was moving my license over to eXp Realty. He quickly reminded me the switch would make it my third brokerage in ONE year. I told him, “yeah, but it will be my last.” That was 2 years ago! Best decision I made for my RE career.
I made the decision to move to eXp because the model made sense to me. Your commission split is 80/20. Once you cap (your cap is the fee you pay to your broker each year; at eXp Realty the cap is $16,000 for every agent), you collect 100% of your commissions for the remainder of your year until it resets on your anniversary. They are the only brokerage that offers you the ability to earn back your cap in the form of company stock for hitting certain performance goals. This award is known as the ICON award and only 3% of the company has achieved this award. I’ve been an ICON both years that I have been at eXp Realty — this means they have rewarded me $32,000 back in the form of company stock! Other benefits available to agents are the Agent Equity Program where 5% of your commission from each transaction is used to purchase company stock at 10% off. They also offer healthcare! All of this is in addition to the revshare (reward for attracting other agents to the company), training, technology and collaboration offered. The benefits and performance rewards I receive as an agent at eXp are unmatched by any other brokerage. I just can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was raised by my parents who emigrated here from Vietnam with big dreams of providing a better life and more opportunities for their family. They came here with no money but worked hard to achieve the American Dream. I was taught to work hard for what I want. I have a very strong work ethic and it has helped me navigate every job I have had up until now. I worked as a Customer Success Manager/Inside Sales Rep in the tech industry for over a decade before I decided to pursue a career in Real Estate full time. For me, Real Estate is not about home sales. It is about building and maintaining relationships. Sometimes I joke and say that I am in the roofing business. The opportunity to help buyers and sellers with their home buying or selling journey is a privilege and one that I take very seriously. My goal is to make the process easy and stress-free as possible. When you work with me and TruHome Group, I guarantee honesty and transparency. I treat every transaction as if it were my own personal purchase or sale. I will educate you, guide you, negotiate for you. I will do everything with your best interest in mind in an effort to provide you with a positive outcome that you desire. Building a trusted relationship with my clients is one of the most important things to me. I don’t see dollar signs. It’s not transactional for me. I am here from the start of the transaction until long after. I’ve become friends with many of my clients! You’re in good hands when you work with me!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
My business is based primarily on referrals. My sphere of influence and past clients have been my greatest source of new clients for me. I am so grateful that they continue to refer me to their friends and family.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I try to stay top of mind with clients through texts, emails, in-person visits and pop-bys. My favorite is to grab coffee or lunch together.
Contact Info:
- Website: Truhomegroup.com
- Instagram: Homesbystephtru
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsstephtru
Image Credits
Mellybee Photography