Keeton & Co vs cloud brokerages for Virginia agents: what each model gives you

Keeton & Co is built for the Virginia agent who wants appointments set for them, staff to carry the paperwork and a broker down the hall. Cloud brokerages are built around a different model.

Here’s how the two models compare, with sources, so you can decide using facts rather than recruiting pitches.

Why does Keeton & Co fit many Virginia agents?

Keeton & Co is independent and broker-owned, with three offices: Glen Allen (Richmond headquarters), Forest (Lynchburg) and Charlottesville. There is no franchise royalty coming off the top.

The firm was a RealTrends Verified Best Brokerage for 2025, with 718 transaction sides and $295.32M in sales volume in 2025, independently verified.

Four things matter most for agents:

• Lead Service (optional). Our marketing generates inquiries and our in-house Inside Sales Team works them and books the appointment on your calendar. Our inside sales team books 300+ appointments a month for our agents.
• KAI. An AI assistant built only for Keeton & Co agents and connected to the MLS, your transactions, your goals and your CRM. It drafts and reviews contracts and creates your marketing.
• Staffed support. A full-service transaction coordinator, in-house marketing, IT and admin help and a field technician.
• A broker who answers. Managing brokers in Richmond and Lynchburg, and a principal broker in the building.

Our standard plan is published here; Lead Services plan details are shared privately during a confidential conversation with our team.

What is a cloud brokerage, and who is it for?

A cloud brokerage runs mostly online rather than around local offices. Agents join from anywhere and get training and community virtually, and some offer equity-style incentives. It can suit agents who already generate their own business and want a national platform behind them.

The trade-off to test is support. When a contract goes sideways on a Friday, who do you call, and is that person in your market?

What do national cloud brokerages offer?

National cloud brokerages are publicly traded, technology-based firms that have added Virginia agents and teams in recent years. Many offer revenue sharing, stock incentives for production and recruiting, and team programs. They suit an agent who values a national platform and equity programs over a local office.

What does eXp Realty offer?

eXp is a publicly traded brokerage based in Bellingham, Washington. Richmond BizSense reported in 2017 that agents share a stake in company ownership, can earn stock after hitting performance benchmarks, can join a revenue-share program for recruiting agents, and receive training online. That article is nine years old, so confirm the current details directly with eXp.

It suits agents who value ownership-style incentives and an online community and who are comfortable running their business without a local office behind them.

How do the models compare side by side?

Firm	Model	Who it suits	Source
Keeton & Co	Independent, three Virginia offices, staffed support	Agents who want appointments set, staff support and a local broker	keetonco.com, RealTrends
eXp Realty	National, online	Agents who value ownership incentives and online community	Richmond BizSense, 2017

Other national brokerages are not covered here; I only describe firms I can source.

How should you choose?

Ask every brokerage the same questions. What would my last twelve months of closings net after every fee, shown in writing? Who handles my transaction paperwork, and are they staff or a shared pool? Who answers when a deal breaks? Where do my next clients come from? Our guide on choosing a brokerage in Richmond walks through these in detail.

What should I do next?

If you want to see how your last twelve months would look here, start a confidential conversation and bring your own numbers. If the numbers don’t favor moving, we’ll say so. Questions first? Contact us. Written by Daniel Keeton, broker.