Above, Terri Chapman
Making your way in real estate is a journey that’s difficult to navigate alone. From becoming an agent to climbing the ladder into leadership, coaching can help guide real estate professionals through every step of their journey, laying the foundation to earn the trust and confidence they need to successfully navigate the industry.
Terri Chapman, broker/owner of Chapman Real Estate Group in El Dorado Hills, California, can attest to this from her own career path. After getting her license back in 2002, Chapman joined an independent brokerage looking for guidance in her new career, but didn’t find the mentorship she was seeking until being introduced to Buffini & Company’s business coaching program in 2005.
After attending one of the firm’s live training events with a few agents in her office, Chapman notes that the experience ultimately set her coaching journey in motion.
“At that time, we were all trying to figure out the best way to move forward and work our business. When Brian laid out his working by referral system and why it was beneficial, I signed up on the spot,” says Chapman.
Kicking off her coaching journey with the One2One program, Chapman learned the basics associated with becoming a successful agent—from putting fundamentals and systems in place to ways in which to hold herself accountable.
Once she had grown her career, Chapman decided it was time to open her own brokerage, a decision she discussed at length with her business coach.
“Having a few coaches along the way has been instrumental, as I would not be where I am today without the consistency of coaching,” says Chapman. “Also, when I’m ready to make a growth jump, being surrounded by people who support that and yet have me looking at other angles—encouraging me, but making sure we have things in place to ensure I’m a success—is great.”
From there, Chapman transitioned into leadership coaching to learn how to be an effective broker/owner.
“Buffini has always laid out amazing plans, amazing speakers and a lot of personal growth opportunities to be the best I can be at the leadership piece,” says Chapman, who was part of the inaugural launch of Buffini & Company’s new Certified Full-Service Professional (CFSP) designation.
In Chapman’s eyes, the CFSP designation means that she and her brokerage have gone above and beyond to be the best at what they do, ensuring they’re always on top of the real estate industry’s rules and regulations.
“It’s training to make sure we’re all on the same page, as a brokerage, and we know how to not only communicate to our clients, but also how to communicate our value,” explains Chapman. “We need to maintain the professionalism in our industry, and we don’t know how to work any other way than by providing exceptional service by going above and beyond in order to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.”
This is especially important as we navigate the shifts within the industry that have come about due to the post-NAR settlement practice changes.
“I facilitate a lot of the classes through Buffini as well, and that has been my whole premise—to build professionalism in our industry,” says Chapman.
For those who haven’t taken advantage of coaching, Chapman recommends it to anyone looking to up their game. “From the personalized experience with your coach to the events and community you can access through the program, Buffini & Company’s coaching program is a key path to career growth.
“Anybody who wants to be at the top of their game needs support along the way,” concludes Chapman.
For more information, please visit https://www.buffini.com/coaching.
