Above, Johnnie Morine, right and Nicole Rogers
Johnnie Morine had a goal in mind when he began his real estate career 10 years ago after decades in sales and entrepreneurship. The goal was not just to succeed in the field on his own, but to take a team of successful agents with him.
Today the once-independent 30-agent Dallas/Fort Worth team, newly operating as RE/MAX Empire (MorineRealtors.com), and led by Morine and associate Nicole Rogers, has renewed its focus on maximum growth.
“We have always been motivated to provide both excellent service to our clients and unlimited opportunity for our agents,” said Morine. “We typically recruit more experienced agents who are committed to top line customer service. With the added support and resources of the RE/MAX brand behind us, our goal now is to grow our reach in the areas we serve with as many as 100 or more well-prepared and dedicated real estate professionals.”
Barbara Pronin: That’s a lofty goal. But managing a team of 30-plus agents, not to mention the dozens more you aspire to, requires lots of time and coordinated effort. What’s your formula for doing that?
Johnnie Morine: It does take a lot of time and effort, not to mention some creativity, and that’s the reason why Nicole is now part of our leadership. She joined my group back in 2017 and quickly proved that she’s not only a top producing agent who can deliver results for her clients, but that she has the skill and desire to recognize talent and mentor others.
BP: How do you split your responsibilities?
Nicole Rogers: We’re still working to refine that as the team expands with our transition into the RE/MAX mode. Johnnie is the acknowledged expert in the back-office side of things, and while I’m working to learn more about that, my emphasis is more on the people side, connecting, recruiting, mentoring. It’s my job, too, to make sure our people take advantage of our expanded suite of resources and technology and the new educational opportunities open to them.
JM: There’s a lot of adjustment still going on as we transition into the wider world and resources of the global RE/MAX brand. But our goal is a truly collaborative effort that makes best use of our individual skills. The good news is that our agents are quite experienced, for the most part, and so they don’t require a lot of close supervision. On the other hand, they know we are their biggest cheerleaders, and want them to know we’re here for them seven days a week, any time they need some guidance or have a question.
NR: We have onboarding workshops on a regular basis, and meetings not just to hone in on the advanced systems and marketing tools that are now available to us, but also to focus on connecting with and supporting one another and maintaining our unique team culture. Our team motto is, “No agent left behind,” and it’s a motto we do everything we can to live up to.
JM: In my book, “Mastering Your Special,” I talk about the personality traits and the set of disciplines I believe it takes to build a successful career. Mastering those, and recognizing what is special in you, is key to making good things happen. I want to be sure every one of our people meets and exceeds his or her potential.
BP: Dallas/Fort Worth metro is a big market to serve. What would you say is your differentiator?
JM: We care. We have a positive mindset and with more than 100 years of experience behind our team of agents, we have the confidence to know we can deliver on our promise to make every client’s buy or sell experience as seamless and rewarding as possible.
BP: What’s the market like in your area right now?
JM: Inventory is low, for the most part, so there’s still some competitive bidding going on, especially at the lower price points, $250- to $400,000. There is business out there, and our goal is for every one of our agents to close at least 10 transactions a year.
BP: And you are still in growth mode?
JM: Absolutely. The sky’s the limit. We believe we have the resources and skills – more than ever since our transition to the RE/MAX model – to onboard and mentor newer agents while supporting the needs of our more experienced people.
BP: What’s your best advice for team leaders just starting out?
JM: Answer the phone. Be available. If your agents call you, it’s because they need you now, so be there for them every time.
Morine Team Listing
