From zero to 500+ agents in 90 days across 48 states. This is what happens when industry veterans decide to rebuild from scratch.
Chase Lance ran a NEXA Lending branch before starting AXEN. He wanted to build a brokerage that actually fixed the stuff agents complain about: percentage splits, slow pay, bad tech, and no support. In June 2025, he and Mike Kortas launched AXEN Realty and signed 500+ agents in the first 90 days.
Mike Kortas founded NEXA Lending, one of the biggest mortgage companies in the country. When Chase brought him the idea for AXEN, Mike saw a chance to build a brokerage with lending already wired in from the start, so agents can take a deal from listing to closing without the runaround.
Chase Lance and Mike Kortas launch AXEN Realty. The idea: build a brokerage that agents actually want to work at. Flat fee. Real support. No percentage games.
AXEN hits 100 agents in the first month. The flat-fee model resonates immediately. Agents who've been watching from the sidelines start making the switch.
State broker appointments ramp up fast. AXEN pushes into dozens of new states at once, securing licensing and placing brokers across the country.
AXEN reaches 500 agents in just 90 days of operation. National Mortgage Professional calls it "a growth pace that has never been done before in real estate."
AXEN secures broker licensing in 48 states — a national footprint built in under six months. Almost no brokerage in history has moved this fast.
AXEN enters its second year with zero agent attrition. When you build a brokerage agents actually want to be at, nobody leaves.
"From zero to 500 agents nationwide in 90 days. This is what conviction looks like."
AXEN Realty — Company Timeline
HousingWire, National Mortgage Professional, and PR Newswire on AXEN, NEXA, and the people building them.
NMP covered AXEN hitting 500 agents in 90 days and the partnership between AXEN Realty and NEXA Lending that's reshaping how agents work across the country.
Read ArticleOfficial announcement of the FSBO.com acquisition led by NEXA CEO Mike Kortas. The 29-year-old platform gets a full AI-driven overhaul with simplified contracts and guided negotiation tools.
Read ArticleKortas disclosed his strategy to acquire shell companies to build joint ventures with large teams, agencies, builders, and strategic partners. Goal: more wholesale volume and faster HUD licensing.
Read ArticleHousingWire covered the FSBO.com acquisition led by Kortas and Brad Rice. NEXA gets embedded mortgage intake directly into the platform.
Read ArticleEntrepreneur and podcast host Brad Lea teamed up with Kortas to elevate loan officers nationwide through content, education, and direct engagement with NEXA's platform.
Read ArticleNEXA rolled out Chat AI and Social AI capabilities, giving loan officers access to 288+ investor loan products, real-time pricing scenarios, and AI-assisted marketing.
Read ArticleOfficial release announcing NEXA's agentic AI platform. Unlike bolt-on tools, the AI learns and adapts in real time as a digital teammate for loan officers.
Read ArticleCEO Kortas announced the rebrand at NEXA Fest 2025. NEXA remains a correspondent lender funding 60% of loans with its own warehouse lines while evolving beyond the "Brokers Are Better" era.
Read ArticleNEXA became the first mortgage brokerage to deploy agentic AI at enterprise scale across 3,200+ loan officers in 48 states — automating 70% of manual tasks and cutting costs by $1,500 per loan.
Read ArticleNEXA hired sales expert Eric Mitchell as a key recruiting partner to push toward its goal of 5,000 loan officers. Mitchell brings 20+ years of origination and team-building expertise.
Read Article500+ agents already made the switch. The brokerage model you've been waiting for is live in your state, right now. For press inquiries or media assets, reach out directly.
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