Let me explain the game of War for a second.

Everyone knows the rules, right? If not, I can explain it in about fifteen seconds. It’s not exactly an intellectual game — and by the way, neither is revenue share. It’s just not.

Here’s how the game works: You take a deck of cards. Split it 50/50. Nobody knows the order of the cards. You flip the top card at the same time. Highest card wins. Aces are high. Whoever wins that match grabs the pile. The goal of the game is to get all the cards. That’s it.

And if you want a very simple definition of revenue share, it’s basically the same thing. But here’s where most people completely miss the point.

Most people celebrate the wrong cards.

Most people celebrate when their six beats a four. Then their nine beats a seven. And they start building organizations full of little cards. Small thinkers. Unlimited dreamers. Fear-based people. Folks that need a lot of coddling. Lots of princes and princesses. And while they’re stacking up all these little cards, they’re ignoring the only cards that actually matter.

The aces.

At some point someone will try to convince you that a nine is a good card. And sure — if I’m holding an eight, your nine is fantastic. But I could beat you with a jack. A queen. A king. Or one of the four aces.

So yes, a nine can be subjectively good. But in the game of war, the only card that really matters is the ace. If I asked someone, “Give me the good cards,” and they handed me the four aces, the game is already over.

 

Eight Years at eXp Reduced to One Lesson

If I compress eight and a half years at eXp into the most basic class I could ever teach, it’s this: You are much better off spending 10 years finding four aces than spending two years collecting sixes and sevens.

Let me give you real examples. I brought over Keeley Tase. She has around 780 agents. Do you know how long that took? One conversation where she wasn’t that nice to me. One conversation in person where I started to grow on her — which tends to happen if it’s going to work. Then she showed up to six or seven lunch-and-learns where we barely talked beyond a weather conversation. That’s it. Seven hundred and eighty agents.

Then there’s Barry Pulver. Almost 1,200 agents in his organization. Opened up the UK. Then Carrie Briner with around 500 agents. Now just pause and add that up for a second. Barry at 1,200. Carrie at 500. Keeley at 780.

You’re already over 2,400 agents from a handful of relationships – the right relationships. That’s what four aces look like.

Meanwhile I see people talking to 600 agents, hoping it turns into something meaningful. Six hundred conversations that lead to sixes, sevens, maybe a jack if they’re lucky — and one person they keep calling a queen that’s really just a four. And then they’re hoping those people save their life.

That’s not strategy. That’s not building a business or long-term wealth. That’s burnout waiting to happen.

 

What Happens When You Build With Small Cards

And, if you build your organization with small cards, you’ve just given yourself a new job. You’ve become a psychologist without a degree. Because sixes and sevens need a lot. They need encouragement. They need recognition. They need constant attention.

And if you don’t answer the phone because you’re on vacation, or out to dinner with your spouse, or just not in the mood to talk, suddenly you’re the problem. You’re only as good as your last favor.

But aces don’t operate like that. When an ace can’t reach you, they go solve the problem themselves. Most of the time they’re not even asking for help — they’re asking you to confirm the solution they already came up with. That’s the difference.

 

Princes & Princesses vs. Kings & Queens

Most real estate agents operate like princes and princesses. Their currency is recognition… A Facebook post. A trophy. Stage time. Someone saying, “You’re the best at what you do.” And honestly, it makes sense. As adults we don’t hear that very often. When someone pulls you aside and says, “Hey, you’re doing a great job. I see you working hard,” it sticks.

But kings and queens operate differently. They don’t need you to motivate them. They’re already moving. And here’s the funny thing about kings and queens (and aces). They tend to find each other. Whales are attracted to whale water. That’s where they hang out.

 

The Whale Conversation Is Simple

People think bringing a whale to eXp requires some kind of perfect presentation. It doesn’t.

When I brought over Keeley, I had been at the company for about six weeks. Do you think I was good at explaining the model? Probably not. When I talked to Barry, did we have some grand international vision? No. International was Canada at the time. The point is, the whale conversation isn’t complicated. You just have to understand their problems. Burnout. Fatigue. Lifestyle pressure. They built huge businesses and now they’re trapped inside them. The leverage model becomes a treadmill. Teams leak talent. Top agents leave and compete against them. They’re responsible for feeding everyone else’s pipeline.

It’s a bigger version of the problem they had when they were solo agents. When you understand that, the conversation becomes very simple. You just show them the math.

 

Why Direction Beats Speed

For most of my career I was very good at moving fast. But speed in the wrong direction is still the wrong direction. Like a lot of agents, I was running on the hamster wheel — more deals, more income, bigger lifestyle, bigger responsibility. Eventually you realize you’re decades away from where you actually want to be – financially stable, or better yet, financially free.

In 2017 I made a 180-degree turn. Instead of just producing more, I focused on building relationships with people who knew how to build. Eight years later our organization is roughly 3,100 agents strong. And I get to spend time with aces and whales, and most importantly, my family. 

Direction is more important than speed.

 

The Real Question

So when you think about your revenue share, reduce it to the simplest possible question.

Are you building your organization with six hundred small cards?

Or are you looking for four aces?

Because in the game of war — and in building an organization — the person with the aces wins every time.

If you’re an ace or looking to build a team of aces, let’s talk. Email hello@richtomasini.com.