Daryl Wizinsky

Finding Value in Himself, in His Work and in Others

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Jennifer Arnett with Starloft Photography

Photos taken at Cranbrook Custom Home at Montcaret in Northville

At an early age, Daryl Wizinsky learned that his path in life would not be an easy one. However, his experiences taught him resilience and self-reliance and gave him an appreciation for education and mentorship as well as a relentless drive to believe in himself and find success.

Daryl came from a divorced family and watched his mother do whatever it took to get things done. Her perseverance and hard work influenced Daryl to do the same for himself. After high school, Daryl’s life changed when he became a father, which altered how he viewed his existence. “Becoming a father truly shaped my life,” he recalled. “When my daughter arrived, she didn’t come with instructions or rules. All I knew was that I couldn’t fail.”

Soon after, Daryl joined the military, which, from a discipline perspective, was the hardest thing he had ever endured. “Some things just can’t be unseen or undone,” he said. A valuable lesson he learned was the importance of education, teamwork and being coachable. “Education is key to me,” he said.

“No matter what your circumstances are, you have to have the ability to go out and find answers because the truth becomes knowledge, and that is the gateway to becoming anything you want in life.”

Another instance that had an impact on Daryl’s impression of leadership and teamwork was when he was in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC in high school. He longed to find acceptance as an adolescent, and despite his inability to march or drill, he was welcomed to the group by Sergeant Major Sims and Colonel Sam Pfeiffer. “They both made it possible for me to go on every trip and competition,” Daryl said. “Most importantly, they included me and made me feel like I belonged to something. They saw the value of a team and how it takes more than one person to be successful. For this, they will always be a part of how I develop my own teams.”

After years in various sales roles, Daryl found his niche in leading and teaching others how to become the best sales and finance managers. This led to Daryl’s passion for helping others achieve their professional goals and dreams through consulting. Ultimately, it brought him to the world of real estate.

In 2008 — the year of short sales and foreclosures — Daryl decided real estate might be a good fit for him. He got his real estate license and hit the ground running. With no training or industry knowledge, Daryl sold 75 houses his first year. As his career quickly advanced, he aligned himself with the right people. “Things began to accelerate when I started working for Jeff Glover,” Daryl explained. “The production was amazing, the training he offered was inspiring and I took it all in every day.” He quickly became the top agent in the company and achieved a sales volume of $16.8 million in sold homes. “I found the tools I needed to set out and build my own business, and I was inspired to also coach others and help them grow,” he added.

In 2016, Daryl became a broker and established Elegant Homes Realty powered by eXp Realty. “Through struggle comes growth,” he said. “I wanted to take my experiences and turn them into positive outcomes for others. To me, success is living life by my own set of rules. The wins are only further validated when I get to help others around me win, too.”

Daryl oversees 30 team members with offices in Orange County, Chicago, Boston and soon, Dallas.

The office culture is approachable, engaging, humble and hardworking. The key to the group’s success is being coachable and accountable, with each team member holding one another to higher standards. “This is something that flourishes internally on our team,” Daryl said. “No one is too good to grab a vacuum or sweep the floors, and that mentality and respect for the group carries over into our results, our productivity, client satisfaction and the overall positive vibe in our offices.”

Currently, Daryl is most passionate about growth and education, specifically with technology. “In our industry, it’s easy to get left behind if you don’t keep up with software advancements and media updates,” he shared. “Our brokerage has a diverse group of agents, and not everyone is tech savvy, so education is key because if you aren’t growing, you are dying.”

Given his status and expertise, Daryl advised real estate agents who are considering becoming brokers to have a solid standard operating procedure. “As cliché as it may sound, without a plan, you truly have nothing other than chaos, and will most likely be reactive rather than proactive in daily operations,” he stated. “We always follow the procedures, no matter what. People’s hearts get in the way, and people make mistakes that could impact others down the line in the transaction; therefore, it’s imperative that everyone understands that they are building a business, and it must be treated as one. And finally, the most important lesson is to not recruit to fill seats or to become profitable. Recruit to change lives — agents and clients. As soon as you take the reward of money out of the equation, everything else comes together.”

Daryl is clearly someone who speaks his mind, stands up for the little guy, does what is right and doesn’t adhere to the norm. Over the years he has kept his core values in check and became a better version of himself because of it. “You aren’t going to please everyone in life,” he said. “However, if you’re coachable and willing to work, and find the right people who see value in you and are willing to push you to become better, then anything is possible.”

BROKER SPOTLIGHT Daryl Wizinsky from Elegant Homes Realty - eXp Realty