Spotlights were shining down onstage, but it was Quintavius Burdette who lit up the arena during the opening session of the 2024 RE/MAX R4® convention, the brand’s annual global event known for its education and networking opportunities. Since the former Division I college football player began his career with RE/MAX® five years ago, he’s closed more than 700 transactions. Incredible hustle is one reason why Burdette has gotten to where he is today. Another? Being with a network designed for collaboration and business growth.
“How does it feel to be part of the best?” Burdette, an agent with RE/MAX Experts in Germantown, Tennessee, asked the audience of thousands of the brand’s affiliates. “At RE/MAX, we’re above the crowd. I say it everywhere I go: I’m proud to be part of a brand that’s taking the right steps to make sure we’re all successful.”
What differentiates one group of professionals from another? What characteristics help some of them soar? Passion. Grit. Productivity. Trust. And a shared desire to help others along the path to success.
Every day, those qualities are on full display in the worldwide network of RE/MAX agents—full-time professionals aligned with a brand that has a presence in over 110 countries and territories. It’s a collection of more than 140,000 individuals, each bringing a unique story to the table. These diverse perspectives and experiences are the elements of a network evolving by the day—as it contributes to changing communities, businesses and lives.
“As an entrepreneur constantly raising the bar for yourself, it’s an immeasurable benefit to be aligned with a network of productive, hard-working professionals. The sense of community within the RE/MAX network drives new ideas, fresh outlooks, lasting connections and business partners on a global scale,” says Amy Lessinger, president of RE/MAX, LLC. “I know it firsthand—and it applies to every RE/MAX affiliate out there.”
Lessinger was named president of RE/MAX, LLC in February 2024—bringing a vision for next-level growth at the real estate giant that has stood the test of time. One of her clearest assets is her own experience with the brand.
Lessinger began her real estate career as an agent with a RE/MAX brokerage more than 25 years ago. Over the next two decades, she became a top producer, led a successful team, opened a RE/MAX brokerage, and joined a multi-office partnership and helped it grow to an award-winning enterprise of more than 130 agents. At every stage, she also mentored others, learned every aspect of the business, realized the benefits of scale, and displayed a passion for the profession and the buyers and sellers it serves.
In 2020, Lessinger made a move to the Colorado-based RE/MAX World Headquarters staff, leading regional teams responsible for driving the brand’s strategic growth initiatives. When people say Lessinger has done it all within the industry, they aren’t kidding.
“Through every stage of my career, a leading factor in my business development was wanting to level up to those around me. Fortunately, I was with RE/MAX, so I’ve been around inspiring, productive people the whole time. RE/MAX is my community, and I love this network,” she says. “I’ve always valued being aligned with a trusted brand known for its top-producing culture—and the top producers that upheld that reputation. I’m glad so many other RE/MAX professionals have that same experience.”
But how does being aligned with an expansive, productive network like RE/MAX provide value to entrepreneurs?
Strong leadership on all levels
Leadership, mentorship and built-in support are game changers for those with business growth on their minds. Real estate teams are just one example of this truth.
“I’m a big believer in the ‘everybody wins’ philosophy. A real estate team is not a downline model. It’s a collaborative training environment where serious agents band together to help each other grow, under the guidance of caring and committed leadership,” shares Sam Olson, who heads up The Olson Group with RE/MAX Professionals in Reno, Nevada. “We’re all here to serve clients at the highest level—but as the leader, I’m also here to serve my agents at the highest level. My job is to help them become the best they can be.”
Teams can be a beneficial way for leaders to continue their pursuit and passion for real estate while increasing their mentorship of others. For many, like Olson, it’s a satisfying dynamic.
The Olson Group is a flourishing example in a network in which both teams and individuals enjoy a wealth of tools and competitive advantages.
Individual agents and real estate teams have different needs when it comes to marketing resources, technology, education courses, property signs and other essential tools. That’s why RE/MAX tailors its suite of offerings to a variety of types of real estate business dynamics. For example, MAX/TechSM powered by kvCORE—the RE/MAX brand’s comprehensive technology suite, available to affiliates in the U.S. and Canada at no additional cost—is an ideal solution for individual agents. At the same time, it also fits the needs of teams—with a no-cost team add-on that enables team leaders and members to field leads, create marketing materials, communicate with their sphere and more—all in one cohesive space.
Plus, to supplement an already robust team value proposition that includes education, events, recognition programs and more, RE/MAX recently launched a new financial model for teams, which helps teams of six or more members leverage the value of scale. It’s one of several unique initiatives aimed at continuing to attract top talent in the years ahead.
“RE/MAX leads from the front of the industry. The network comprises incredible trailblazers and continues to grow with innovation, determination and strong leadership seen in brokerages, and on teams, around the world,” says Erik Carlson, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, the parent company of RE/MAX, LLC, as well as Motto Mortgage, the first and only national mortgage brokerage franchise brand in the U.S., and wemlo, an innovative mortgage loan processing technology company. Mentorship beyond the team structure is critical to business development, too. Unlike their peers at many competitors, RE/MAX agents and teams know they have reliable resources at the local level—their broker/owner, management team and other productive peers.
“The incredible amount of support we receive from our broker/owner, as well as other agents within the brokerage, is key to our business—and it’s a main reason why we choose to align with RE/MAX,” shares Jagateshwar Bains, an agent with RE/MAX Lake & Country in Oroville, Washington, who runs a small team with his brother, Jasmair Bains.
“RE/MAX Lake & Country is a community, and everyone here lends a helping hand when you need it. We’re all learning and growing together.”
Productivity at the core of culture
Strong leadership often yields strong results. So, it checks out that RE/MAX agents regularly outperform their competitors when it comes to the number of closed transaction sides. RE/MAX is the most productive real estate network in the world—nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides.
The RE/MAX hustle doesn’t go unnoticed by real estate consumers. In 2024, a BrandSpark® survey once again revealed that shoppers voted RE/MAX as the brand with the No. 1 Most Trusted Real Estate Agents in the USA* and Canada**.
That reputation is also reinforced by the billions of dollars spent on advertising over the years through an abundance of creative and consumer-focused marketing measures, including the latest 2024 RE/MAX National Advertising Campaign, which RE/MAX affiliates can customize and use in building their own businesses. It all works in tandem to ensure that those who align with RE/MAX benefit from unparalleled real estate brand recognition.
“Any agent—especially one who is newer to the business—has to build trust with their sphere and clients. Having a reputable, easily recognizable brand backing you anywhere you go gives you instant credibility,” says Angelica Olmsted, an agent with RE/MAX Professionals in Denver, Colorado.
Industry-leading performance is a product of multiple influences, one of which being the fact that the RE/MAX network is all about collaboration in the pursuit of achievement. Accordingly, some RE/MAX affiliates cite the brand’s many in-person networking opportunities as a great way to spend time with fellow professionals, take inspiration from top producers and set bigger goals. A key opportunity is the annual RE/MAX R4.
“If you’re serious about growing your business—especially on an international scale—then this is the place for you,” said Tricia Lehane, an agent with RE/MAX Excalibur in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the 2024 R4 in late March. “I always look forward to the Global Referral Exchange, a gathering that celebrates many of the cultures that comprise the RE/MAX network. Some of my most cherished friendships have stemmed from RE/MAX events.”
Droves of RE/MAX affiliates joined the most recent Global Referral Exchange, where people could be seen sharing treats brought from continents away, learning about various cultures and swapping business cards with one another.
Lehane is in good company when it comes to RE/MAX affiliates who see in-person networking as an essential step in building business. Olson has been attending R4 for nearly a decade, and credits it for much of his ongoing industry education, and many of the referral partners he’s developed. It’s just one factor that keeps him allied with the balloon-backed brand.
“I get to align my business with the No. 1 name in real estate***. Why would I want to be anywhere else?” Olson says.
A collective passion for community
A deep appreciation for the communities in which they live and work is a bond shared by so many with RE/MAX.
One way RE/MAX affiliates support their communities is by giving back to local children. In the U.S. and Canada, RE/MAX agents, teams and offices get involved with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Since 1992, RE/MAX has been a proud partner of CMN Hospitals, with RE/MAX affiliates having donated over $200 million to more than 170 affiliate CMN Hospitals locations throughout the 32-year partnership.
“Real estate agents see firsthand what a vital role we are able to play in building our communities and changing the lives of others,” Olson says.
Olson supports his community and beyond through ongoing involvement with the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, an organization he was a founding member of—and he co-founded his local chapter, too. Committed to supporting fair housing practices on all fronts, RE/MAX is a sponsor of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, as well as the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and more.
“Owning a home means having stability and security, and it’s an important way to create generational wealth,” Olson adds. “As RE/MAX agents, we work to make sure more people—especially those from underserved populations—can have a fair chance at becoming homeowners. Our jobs are reliant on the community, so we owe it to our communities to give back.”
He continues, “When it comes to having a presence in the real estate industry, RE/MAX is among the biggest ships at sea. But what’s empowering is that as a representative of the RE/MAX brand, I play a role in helping steer that ship toward a better future for everybody.”
For more information, please visit https://www.remax.com.
*Voted most trusted Real Estate Agency brand by American shoppers based on the BrandSpark® American Trust Study, years 2022 – 2024 and 2019.
**Voted most trusted Real Estate Agency brand by Canadian shoppers based on the BrandSpark® Canadian Trust Study, years 2019 – 2024 and 2017.
***Source: MMR Strategy Group study of unaided awareness.
