If you are a real estate agent in Oak Park, IL weighing your next brokerage move, two names probably keep coming up in the same conversation: eXp Realty and RE/MAX. Both have name recognition. Both have agents who swear by them. But the business models are genuinely different, and the right choice depends on where you are in your career, how you want to grow, and what kind of support you actually expect to use.
This article breaks down the two models side by side — commission structures, fees, culture, technology, and the income streams available at each — so you can make a clear-headed decision rather than one based on brand familiarity.
The Core Model Difference
RE/MAX built its reputation on a high-split, desk-fee model. The traditional structure gives agents a large percentage of each commission in exchange for paying fixed monthly costs — desk fees, franchise fees, and regional royalties that vary by office. The amount you keep per transaction is high, but you are writing checks every month whether you close deals or not. For a high producer closing 30-plus deals a year, that math can work. For an agent building toward that level, the fixed overhead can create real pressure.
eXp Realty operates without physical offices and with no desk fees or franchise fees. Agents start on an 80/20 split and cap at $16,000 paid to eXp in a calendar year. Once you cap, you keep 100 percent of your commissions for the remainder of that year, paying only a small transaction fee per deal. The cap resets annually. For agents who close consistently, the path to 100 percent is straightforward and predictable.
The absence of brick-and-mortar overhead is not just a cost saving — it funds the technology infrastructure and the revenue share program that make eXp structurally different from a traditional brokerage.
Commission Splits and Fees: A Direct Comparison
At RE/MAX, the split structure varies significantly by office and market. Some offices still use the traditional 95/5 or 100 percent model with a fixed monthly desk fee ranging from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand, plus a franchise fee per transaction. Others use a tiered split model that resembles what you'd find at a mid-tier brokerage. Because RE/MAX is franchise-based, your actual economics depend heavily on the individual franchise owner in your market.
At eXp, the structure is standardized nationwide. You know going in that you start at 80/20, cap at $16,000, and then pay $250 per transaction after cap. There are no monthly desk fees and no franchise fees layered on top. The monthly fee structure is simple: a $85 per month cloud brokerage fee that covers your technology, errors and omissions insurance, and access to the eXp platform.
For an Oak Park agent closing 15 to 25 transactions per year — a realistic production range for a growing agent in the western suburbs — the eXp model often means keeping more money annually once you account for what RE/MAX agents pay in fixed monthly costs before earning a dollar.
Revenue Share: The Income Stream RE/MAX Does Not Offer
This is where the two models diverge most sharply. RE/MAX has no revenue share program. When you help recruit another agent to your RE/MAX office, the office owner benefits — not you.
eXp's revenue share program pays you a percentage of the company dollar generated by agents you personally sponsor and their downstream network, up to seven tiers deep. This is not a theoretical benefit — agents who are intentional about building a team of sponsored agents can generate meaningful passive income that continues regardless of whether they personally closed a deal that month.
For an agent in Oak Park who has a network of peers considering a brokerage move, revenue share is a real part of the financial conversation. Over five or ten years, that income stream can outpace what most agents ever earn in sales commission alone.
Technology and Remote Infrastructure
RE/MAX provides access to tools and marketing resources, but the level of technology support varies by franchise. Some RE/MAX offices invest heavily in CRM platforms and marketing systems; others offer less. You are largely dependent on what your local franchise owner has chosen to build.
eXp runs on a cloud-based platform called eXp World, a virtual environment where agents can attend training, meet with their team, and access company resources around the clock. Every agent gets access to kvCORE, a full CRM and lead-generation platform with IDX website capabilities, automated follow-up, and behavioral tracking. This is not an add-on — it is included in your monthly fee.
For an Oak Park agent who wants a consistent, high-quality technology stack without paying separately for a CRM, dialer, or marketing platform, the eXp bundle has real value.
Equity and Long-Term Ownership
eXp agents are eligible to receive stock awards tied to performance milestones — capping for the year, attracting an agent who caps, and other benchmarks. Over time, agents who stay and produce accumulate equity in a publicly traded company. RE/MAX agents can buy RE/MAX stock on the open market like anyone else, but there is no structural mechanism to earn it through your production.
The equity component matters if you think in terms of net worth rather than just annual income. A brokerage that rewards your production with ownership stakes creates alignment between your performance and your long-term financial position.
Training and Culture
RE/MAX has a training platform called RE/MAX University with a library of courses. Training quality depends on the office — some brokers run rigorous in-person coaching programs; others are largely hands-off once you have your license.
eXp offers live training sessions through eXp World multiple times per week, covering everything from contracts and negotiations to marketing and lead generation. The culture skews collaborative because agents have a financial incentive to help the people they sponsor succeed. That changes the dynamic in a meaningful way — sponsors are invested in their agents' outcomes, not just their own production numbers.
What Joining Under Riley Hextell Adds
Choosing eXp over RE/MAX is one decision. Choosing which sponsor to join under is a separate and equally important one. Your sponsor at eXp has a direct financial incentive to help you succeed because their revenue share depends on your production. That alignment is exactly why who you join under matters.
Riley Hextell ranked number one at eXp Realty Illinois for total transactions in 2025 and sits in the top 50 of more than 80,000 eXp agents companywide. He earned the 2024 Chicago Association of Realtors Rookie of the Year award, making him one of the most decorated newer agents in the Chicago metro area. His career arc — from a standing start to the top of a major brokerage in under two years — is the product of specific systems, not luck.
Agents who join under Riley get access to weekly live training calls that cover real situations from active deals, not theoretical scripts. He provides direct mentorship, lead-generation frameworks, and accountability structures that are designed to compress the learning curve that costs most agents their first two or three years. Whether you are a brand-new licensee or an agent who has been producing for years and wants more structure, the framework is built to meet you where you are.
Riley sponsors agents across Illinois and nationwide — his support is delivered remotely, which means Oak Park agents get the same level of access and attention as agents in any other market. You can reach him directly at 815-545-7476, [email protected], or at rileyhextell.com.
If you want to understand how the eXp model compares at a deeper level before making a decision, the breakdown in eXp Realty vs Keller Williams for agents in Schaumburg covers similar territory from a different angle and is worth reading alongside this article.
Is eXp Right for Every Oak Park Agent?
Not necessarily. RE/MAX can be a strong home for agents who value a traditional office environment, have an established referral base that relies on brand recognition, and close enough volume to absorb fixed monthly costs without pressure. If you are producing at a high level, are already at or near cap, and have deep roots in a specific RE/MAX office culture, switching may not produce a dramatic financial difference.
Where eXp tends to win is with agents who are building their business rather than maintaining it, who want technology infrastructure included rather than piecemeal, who want a mentor with a financial incentive to see them succeed, and who want to create income streams beyond personal production. For most Oak Park agents who are still in a growth phase, that description fits.
If you have spent time reading about what it took to earn the 2024 Rookie of the Year, you already know that the systems Riley built were not accidental. Agents who join under him inherit a version of that same infrastructure rather than building it from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ: What is the main financial difference between eXp Realty and RE/MAX for an Oak Park agent?
The primary difference is predictability and structure. RE/MAX typically involves fixed monthly desk fees and franchise fees that vary by office, plus a split that depends on your local franchise. eXp standardizes everything: 80/20 split, a $16,000 annual cap, $85 per month in fees, and $250 per transaction after cap. For agents producing 15 or more deals annually, eXp's capped model often results in keeping more total income once fixed RE/MAX costs are factored in.
FAQ: Does eXp Realty have an office in Oak Park, IL?
eXp Realty operates as a cloud-based brokerage with no physical office locations. All training, collaboration, and administrative support happens through the eXp platform. For Oak Park agents, this means no commute to an office and no desk fees — but it also means you need to be self-directed or have a strong sponsor keeping you accountable. That accountability structure is one of the core things Riley Hextell provides to agents he sponsors.
FAQ: What does revenue share at eXp Realty actually look like in practice?
When you sponsor an agent into eXp and that agent closes transactions, eXp pays you a share of the company dollar their deals generate. That continues through up to seven tiers of agents you have influenced into the company. The amount varies based on how many agents are in your network and how actively they produce, but agents who build intentionally can generate meaningful recurring income that compounds over time. RE/MAX has no comparable program.
FAQ: How does Riley Hextell support agents in Oak Park if he is not based there?
Riley operates remotely as a sponsor, which is how eXp's model is designed to work. He runs weekly live training calls, provides one-on-one mentorship, shares lead-generation systems, and maintains an accountability structure that does not require geographic proximity. Agents in Oak Park, elsewhere in Illinois, and across the country join under him and receive the same framework. The virtual nature of eXp is what makes that possible at scale.