They met by chance at a broker open — Gary Ashton was a professional drummer and motel owner from England, and Debra Beagle was an environmental chemist. With Ashton’s vision and brand-building balanced by Beagle’s operational discipline and client-centric approach, this partnership laid the foundation for their team, which has since become a global leader within the RE/MAX network.
The video above features an unfiltered conversation with Ashton and Beagle, the co-owners of The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage, the No. 1 RE/MAX team in the world.
Learn how a team of over 200 agents and 40 staff members generates a billion dollars in annual sales by focusing on a long-term, data-driven strategy and a unique approach to lead follow-up. Take a deep dive into their operational structure, a system designed to free agents from administrative burdens so they can focus on clients.
Highlights
They share their “juicy ratio” of one staff member for every five agents — a stark contrast to industry norms — which enables them to provide robust support. This includes in-house photographers, transaction coordinators and a team of licensed inside sales agents (ISAs). Their ISAs are the first point of contact for leads, making an average of 38 touches to convert a client into an appointment, a number they say most individual agents cannot achieve.
Ashton and Beagle also unpack their powerful, multi-channel lead generation strategy. Their system emphasizes the importance of building a strong online presence through SEO, which Ashton contrasts with the “renting space” model of PPC. Their bold approach to brand marketing includes innovative sports sponsorships, such as securing a vast tailgate space for their wrapped RV at NFL games instead of a private suite.
They also credit their partnership with Realtor.com for providing high-quality inbound leads. Ultimately, this team stresses that success is a long-term play that requires a business mindset, a firm grasp of numbers, and the willingness to push forward when others pull back.
Connect with Gary Ashton on LinkedIn, Instagram, X or Facebook.
Connect with Debra on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered is now exclusively on Inman. Tune in for agent- and team-focused content on Mondays and leadership interviews on Wednesdays each week. Listen on Apple or Spotify.
James Dwiggins is the Co-CEO of NextHome, Inc. and co-host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered.
Keith Robinson is the Co-CEO of NextHome, Inc. and co-host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered.
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