If you are a real estate agent in New York evaluating a move to eXp Realty, the single most important decision you will make is not whether to join — it is who you list as your sponsor. That one field on the application determines the quality of mentorship you receive, the systems you plug into on day one, and whether you have someone genuinely invested in your long-term growth. Most agents fill it in without thinking twice. The ones who do their homework end up in a very different place.
Riley Hextell is an Illinois-based eXp Realty agent who sponsors agents across the country remotely. He ranked number one at eXp Realty Illinois for total transactions in 2025, places in the top 50 out of more than 80,000 agents companywide, and earned the 2024 Chicago Association of Realtors Rookie of the Year award. Those credentials matter here because they tell you something specific: the person you would be joining under actually produces at a high level, which means the systems, habits, and processes he shares with sponsored agents are field-tested, not theoretical.
What eXp Realty Actually Offers New York Agents
Before getting into sponsorship, it helps to understand why eXp is worth considering for New York agents in the first place. The model is built around a cloud-based brokerage structure, which means no desk fees eating into your commission every month and access to a nationwide network of agents across every market. The cap structure allows high-producing agents to keep significantly more of what they earn compared to many traditional brokerages operating in New York. On top of that, the revenue share program creates an income stream that grows alongside your team — something no traditional split model offers.
If you want a thorough breakdown of how the revenue share side of the model works, this explanation of eXp's revenue share program lays out the mechanics clearly, even though it was written for an Illinois audience — the model is identical nationwide.
What You Get Under Riley Hextell's Sponsorship
Joining eXp under the right sponsor is less about finding someone with a big name and more about finding someone who will actually show up for you. Here is what agents joining under Riley receive.
Weekly Training and Live Access
Riley holds weekly training sessions available to his entire sponsored network. These are not pre-recorded replays or generic webinars — they are live, focused on real production challenges, and structured around what is actually working in the current market. Topics rotate through lead generation, conversion, listing strategy, negotiation, and building a sustainable pipeline. For a newer agent in New York trying to build momentum in one of the most competitive markets in the country, this consistent structure matters.
Lead Generation Systems
One of the most common places new agents stall is lead generation. They get their license, join a brokerage, and then wait for business to appear. Riley's sponsorship includes sharing the specific lead-gen frameworks he has used to produce at the top of a major brokerage. New York agents who join under him get access to systems for generating and converting leads — not a philosophy, but an actual repeatable process.
Mentorship With Real Context
Riley's path to the top 50 at eXp companywide came through building volume quickly, which is exactly the pressure a new agent in New York faces. His Rookie of the Year journey is documented in detail and reflects the mindset and work rate it actually takes to produce in year one. When he mentors agents, the advice is grounded in what it takes to build from zero — not what it looks like from the top of a career after decades in the business.
Accountability Structure
Being part of a cloud-based brokerage means no one is watching over your shoulder — which is freeing, but can also become a trap for agents who do not have external accountability. Riley's sponsorship includes regular check-ins and a structure designed to keep sponsored agents moving. For agents making the transition from a traditional New York brokerage to eXp, this accountability layer can be the difference between a smooth ramp-up and a slow drift.
Revenue Share Upside
When you join eXp under Riley and eventually sponsor agents yourself, you participate in revenue share — a model where you earn a portion of the commission income generated by agents in your downline, funded by eXp rather than taken from the agents themselves. Riley is actively building a network and can show you what a real revenue share tree looks like at various stages of growth. This is the part of the eXp model that creates long-term financial leverage most traditional brokerage structures simply do not offer.
Remote Sponsorship and What It Looks Like in Practice
Some agents hesitate about working with a sponsor who is not located in New York. The concern makes sense, but it misunderstands how eXp is actually structured. The entire brokerage operates virtually. Riley's training, coaching, and lead-gen support are delivered remotely to sponsored agents in multiple states. The New York-specific compliance, licensing, and market knowledge you need will come from eXp's state resources, local compliance support, and your own market experience — not from a sponsor who happens to have an office nearby. What a sponsor actually provides is systems, accountability, mentorship, and revenue share access. Those transfer across state lines without friction.
Is eXp the Right Move for Your New York Career?
EXp is not the right fit for every agent. If you rely heavily on in-person brokerage culture, a physical office for daily client meetings, or a brand name that carries weight in your specific New York neighborhood, you will need to weigh those factors carefully. But if you are building toward a business model that values independence, higher commission splits, scalable income through revenue share, and a nationwide network, eXp is worth a serious look.
The agents who tend to thrive inside eXp are self-motivated, willing to learn systems, and looking for a structure that rewards production rather than tenure. New York produces exactly that kind of agent — and those are the agents Riley's sponsorship is built to support.
To talk through whether eXp and Riley's sponsorship are the right fit for where you are in your career, reach out directly. Riley can be reached at 815-545-7476, [email protected], or through rileyhextell.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ: Does it matter who I list as my eXp Realty sponsor if I am a New York agent?
Yes, and it matters more than most agents realize. Your sponsor determines the mentorship, training, and systems you have access to from day one. EXp does not mandate what a sponsor provides, which means the quality of support varies widely. Choosing a sponsor who is actively producing at a high level and has built real infrastructure for their sponsored agents is one of the highest-leverage decisions you make when joining the brokerage.
FAQ: How does Riley Hextell support sponsored agents if he is based in Illinois?
Riley's sponsorship support is entirely remote, which aligns with how eXp Realty operates as a brokerage. Weekly training sessions, lead-gen systems, mentorship conversations, and accountability check-ins are all delivered virtually. Agents in multiple states participate in the same network. Being in New York does not limit your access to any part of what he offers.
FAQ: What is revenue share and how soon can a New York agent start earning it?
Revenue share is income eXp pays to agents who sponsor other agents into the brokerage. Once you join under Riley and begin sponsoring agents yourself, you earn a portion of the company dollar generated by those agents — funded by eXp, not deducted from the agents you sponsor. You can begin sponsoring agents as soon as you are active with eXp, meaning the income stream can start building relatively early in your career if you are intentional about it.
FAQ: Is eXp Realty a good fit for newer agents in New York, or is it better suited for experienced producers?
EXp can work for agents at various experience levels, but newer agents benefit most when they join under a sponsor who offers structured training and mentorship rather than leaving them to figure out the virtual environment alone. Riley's sponsorship is specifically set up to support agents who are earlier in their careers and need systems, accountability, and guidance to build their business — which is one reason his track record as a rookie himself is relevant context.