IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Entrepreneurial Spark
Marius’ s journey into real estate wasn’ t a conventional one. With a background in financial advisory services and a successful postconstruction cleaning business under his belt, he and his partner, Steph, stumbled into real estate through sheer curiosity.
“ We walked into a local franchise just to explore the idea,” Foot recalls.“ We ended up signing a part-time contract. But it quickly became clear, real estate demands full-time commitment.”
Despite having no prior industry experience, Marius applied his diploma in sales and marketing, soon learning that the art of selling is universally transferable.“ Sales are sales. If you’ re passionate about people and helping them, make meaningful decisions, real estate becomes an incredibly rewarding platform.”
Defining Moments and Bold Moves
One of the early turning points in Foot’ s career came when he secured the largest development mandate within his franchise all within six months. Recognition soon followed: high unit sales, agent collaboration across franchises, and growing local respect.
Yet, after five years, the excitement began to wane.“ We were watching others progress while we felt stuck. I knew it was time to pivot,” he says. That pivot came in the form of a conversation with a bond originator who mentioned another top-performing agent, Lizna Nel, had joined eXp Realty.
Intrigued by the model and especially the 96 % commission structure. Foot reached out.“ We met for coffee, and it all made sense. Better commission, agent ownership, the opportunity to build a team. It was a no-brainer.”
Though the move meant losing mandates and navigating restrictive trade clauses, the morning after resigning, three property calls confirmed he was on the right path.
16 REI MAGAZINE JULY 2025