Brent Payne launched Avant in May 2010, a multi-level marketing company selling personal development courses. That venture never gained traction. Last November, after bringing in co-founder Michael Hamburger without sparking growth, Payne pivoted. He now leads Real Estate Worldwide, operating under the Avant Education brand from Arizona.
This shift suggests Avant's momentum stalled. Real Estate Worldwide attempts to enter the real estate investing market. Payne founded the company but appointed Kent Clothier as CEO to manage its operations.
Clothier owns REI Marketing. He markets himself as a real estate investor and educator. Through REI Marketing, Clothier built a lead generation business. This operation connects real estate investors with cash buyers ready to close deals quickly.
Real Estate Worldwide promotes this service. It claims real estate historically built American wealth, but entrepreneurs lacked access to networks of ready cash buyers. The company states it solves this problem.
Two membership tiers are offered. Both provide access to Clothier's three websites: findcashbuyersnow.com, findprivatelendersnow.com, and findcompsnow.com. These sites generate buyer leads for properties members want to sell. Members also receive educational materials, step-by-step guides, fortnightly training sessions, and seminars.
The multi-level marketing structure appears here. Members do not just buy access to these tools. They recruit others into the membership and earn commissions on their recruits' purchases. The entry-level package, called the SMART membership, costs $15,000. It includes a "3-up" commission structure.
This structure allows members to earn commissions on three levels of recruits below them. Reaching these recruitment targets can make the math look appealing. Missing them leaves a member with $15,000 spent and nothing in return.
Payne's history shows this strategy works for him, even if most participants do not succeed. He has cycled through the personal development MLM space for years. His companies generate revenue through recruitment more than through actual product sales. Avant did not take off, but Payne moved to his next venture.
Real Estate Worldwide applies the same playbook to a different, more attractive market. Real estate draws many aspiring investors. The idea of passive income and wealth-building appeals to them. Payne repackaged Clothier's existing lead generation sites as an exclusive membership benefit. He then layered on an MLM commission structure, creating another system designed to extract money from participants.
Whether it generates genuine real estate deals for members remains unclear. The system is designed to make money for those at the top.