During his 30+ years in the real estate business, Alan Shafran has seen drastic changes in the industry. He’s watched the business evolve through the worldwide adoption of the internet, smartphones, and other modern tech. He’s been through several boom and bust cycles, too — from the dot-com collapse to the runup before the Great Recession to the post-COVID world we live in today.

Alan’s business has changed shape several times, but one thing has remained steady — his commitment to learning and growing at every step. 

Before joining eXp in 2023, Alan housed his business at several franchises — Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Prudential California Realty, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices — and spent a decade as an independent brokerage.

“That gives us a good measure of history with different companies,” Alan reflects. “The companies were great for what they did, but the world has changed substantially since… My desires have changed, too. As the industry continues to evolve quickly, my goal is to stay several steps ahead with economic prognostications and the ability to shift and change like a speedboat.”

For the past ten years, Alan has run Shafran Realty Group as an independent brokerage, but that changed in early 2023 when he became the latest top broker to join eXp Realty. The move to eXp represents the phase of growth for Shafran Realty Group. 

In addition to offering flexibility and the chance to brand his own business, eXp has a few unique opportunities. Their nationwide network allows Alan and his team to connect and learn from the best of the best agents and groups around the nation. eXp has also allowed him to add a few new layers to his business model. Now, agents have the choice to either join his team or come aboard as independent agents.

“eXp is the first company we've seen that allows us to spread our wings and keep promoting our brand. It’s an agent-centric company. In addition to that, the network we already have in our local group has over 80 of the largest producers and teams in the country. We have weekly calls with agents around the country to mastermind with — some of the best brains in the business. We can offer agents an ecosystem within our company for training sales skills, growth, and networking across the country,” Alan says.

“Last but not least, we are excited that eXp offers our agents multiple streams of income. The key is to think and plan five to ten years in the future. After five years with any company, an agent needs to ask themselves what they are left with. Yes, a book of business is wonderful, and at eXp, we feel our agents will also have two more streams of income, at a minimum, that can stay with them through their career, whether they want to stay as a team member, operate as a team leader, or be completely independent.”

Alan has been selling real estate and managing teams for over three decades, so what keeps him excited and engaged in the business?

“We're having a lot of fun training and growing agents into their desired paths of success. At this point in my career, I'm getting true joy out of helping other producers reach the goals they desire,” he says. “My eyes are waking up at 4:00 or 5:00 am again, excited to get in and accomplish the next goal.”

Shafran Realty Group is built upon a culture of abundance and openness. Alan is surrounded by a strong administrative team and VP of Operations Sara Martucci, who has worked with Alan for nearly 20 years. Agents share information freely, collaborate, and support each other. 

“Rather than coming from protection, we come from openness, training, and support. Success begets success. That's the culture we are growing and thriving from.”

Alan is proud to be guiding his agents through a challenging economic time. Inventory remains historically low, and everyone in the industry is wondering how the next 12 months will unfold.

“I think we're in the middle of this change,” Alan offers. “Everyone is studying hard to figure out where this is going to go, and that's part of the excitement. It’s difficult. It's emotional. So we're working hard to figure out ways to communicate the messages and data to our clients and potential prospects so they can make the right decision for themselves.”

Vision is one of the keys to Alan’s ability to overcome tough times in the business. He encourages all agents to look five years out and envision their future. From there, he advises his agents to stay proactive in actualizing their dreams.

“Considering the climate and the times, where do we think we'll land in one year, two years, or five years? We have to plan for that now. We’re in that space again, so we have to do things differently and be proactive. If you add proactivity with the right training, systems, training, motivation, spirit, and energy, you can really start making some change. And that's what it's going to take to continue to be successful.”