EXIT Realty Island Elite was named the Long Island Top Workplace in the small employers category for offering a wide range of training, mentoring, incentives, a well-designed office, teambuilding and for being involved in the community.
EXIT Realty Island Elite, which has grown to about 50 and has offices in Port Jefferson Station and Mattituck, was founded to “help agents grow so that they can help others at the peak of professionalism and confidence.” The company seeks to bring a good approach to workplace culture.
“The environment here is one of positivity,” owner/broker Jason Furnari said. “We encourage agents to see and embrace their potential and provide them with all the support that they need to operate a successful and fulfilling career.”
While at some brokerages, agents may operate largely independently, with little support, at EXIT Realty Island Elite, the company strives to provide an infrastructure that helps agents succeed.
“Some of our agents came from brokerages at other companies and told me about how they were ‘left to their own devices,’” Furnari continued. “Some of them admitted they had never actually met or spoken with their broker more than once. I vowed to never let that happen here.”
He said to create a “constructive and creative atmosphere,” they built a program that provides the fundamental education their agents need, “while offering them the freedom to take as many of our in-house electives as they like.”
EXIT Realty Island Elite offers classes in negotiating, handling objections, business planning, marketing and research, as well as mindset classes that focus on time management and perspective.
“It was also incredibly important to me that our agents be offered team-building opportunities,” Furnari said, “so we organize events such as rope course navigation at Adventure Park Long Island, and running its annual Client and Community Appreciation Carnival.”
The company also organizes fundraisers throughout the year that benefit local families and organizations, including a backpack supplies drive, food drives and toy drives to benefit hospitalized children during the holidays.
“The office itself was designed to promote collaboration,” Furnari said. “While there are private offices available to select agents, all the doors are made of glass, and the main workspace is communal, with plenty of desks side by side, so that ideas and energy can be shared.”
The company sees its people as a resource for one another and not just for the company, able to advise and support each other, as well as receiving support from the organization.
“It’s our belief that a strong office is one where its members find inspiration and support wherever they look,” Furnari said. “Everyone is encouraged to ask each other questions.”
They also offer a mentorship program for new agents looking to pair with top performers. And twice a month, they run an Agent Round Table, which provides opportunities to learn from the broker and colleagues.
“Our staff is fully committed to the success and betterment of this brokerage, which includes stepping up and being there for our agents at any time of day, even after our doors close,” Furnari said.
He added that it’s not uncommon for an admin to work on a time-sensitive issue from home, “ensuring that the agent can meet their deadlines, providing access to a resource, or assisting with a tech inquiry. “
EXIT Realty also offers incentives for sponsoring new agents. When you bring someone in, and they produce, the sponsoring agent receives a 10% residual bonus, paid directly from EXIT Corp.
“This system changes lives; it certainly did for me,” Furnari added. “It is also one of the ways you can make over 100%.”
The company’s goal is to serve its agents, so its agents can serve customers well, setting up agents, clients and the company for success.
“I want EXIT Realty Island Elite to be the office that not only produces high-performing agents, and proven results for their clients,” Furnari continued, “but an office that people in the community admire for our positive contributions and personalized style. We are down-to-earth but also strive to be the pinnacle of our industry.”