BELLINGHAM, Wash., March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — eXp Realty®, “the most agent-centric™ real estate brokerage on the planet” and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), today announced that Southern California real estate leader Lance Martin has joined the brokerage.
After spending 24 years with Coldwell Banker, Martin has made the decision to move his business, The Martin Group / Cobalt Realty Group, to eXp Realty. The Southern California organization includes 140 agents across the region and has built a reputation for high production and long-term growth.
“Lance is a respected leader who has spent decades building one of the strongest organizations in Southern California,” said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty. “We’re thrilled to welcome him and the agents of The Martin Group / Cobalt Realty Group to eXp and support the continued growth of their organization.”
Real estate has long been a family business for Martin. His grandmother worked as a broker in the 1950s and was recognized as a top broker in 1956, often standing out as one of the only women in a male-dominated industry at the time. Today, Martin continues that legacy alongside his sons, Drew Martin and Drake Martin, who work with him in the business.
According to Martin, his decision to move to eXp Realty reflects broader changes taking place across the real estate industry.
“I’ve been saying for years that the traditional legacy franchise model is broken,” Martin said. “The agents have slowly floated to the top of the business model, and at eXp they’re actually positioned there.”
Martin also pointed to limitations within the franchise structure that restricted expansion into certain markets due to territorial boundaries. After decades of building offices and teams, those constraints became increasingly difficult to navigate as his organization continued to grow.
With the move to eXp, Martin says he plans to continue growing his organization, with long-term plans to scale The Martin Group / Cobalt Realty Group into an organization across multiple states.
About eXp World Holdings, Inc.
eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI) is the parent company of eXp Realty®, “the most agent-centric™ real estate brokerage on the planet,” and SUCCESS® Enterprises. Through a cloud-based platform and agent-centric model, eXp Realty empowers real estate professionals with industry-leading commission structures, revenue share, equity ownership, and access to a global community. With operations spanning the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and South Africa, eXp continues to redefine how agents connect, grow, and succeed in real estate. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings prioritizes transparency, innovation, and long-term value for agents, staff, and shareholders.
Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect the Company’s and its management’s current expectations but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could impact actual results materially. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated success of agents or teams joining eXp Realty, future production goals or volume projections, and participation in or benefits derived from the Company’s platform, tools, compensation model, or equity programs. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include real estate market fluctuations, changes in agent retention or recruitment, competitive pressures, regulatory changes, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not undertake any obligation to update these statements except as required by law.
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eXp World Holdings, Inc.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/795de2d7-ad67-4107-901b-4fbf03499bf0
