Above: Tomie Fox
If there’s one truth real estate professionals can agree on, it’s the fact that the industry is constantly evolving—underscoring the vital role that coaching plays in setting the stage for a successful career, no matter the market.
Tomie Fox—team leader of Fox Real Estate Group and broker associate with Parker Properties—is a perfect example of someone who can personally attest to the power of coaching and the importance of pursuing designations throughout one’s career.
Working with Buffini & Company’s coaching programs for over 10 years, Fox notes that it was hard for her to trust the program at first, as she’s the type of person who needs to see the proof. But she had to have faith if she was serious about leading with strength, clarity and confidence.
“I needed to see that my work and efforts were actually making a difference, because you don’t see the results immediately. It’s one of those things where I had to just trust the system. With so many testimonials out there, what did I have to lose?” asks Fox. “And so I went for it.”
That leap of faith ultimately launched her career, providing the foundation for Fox to hit the ground running, growing so successfully that her coach eventually recommended forming a team to help manage the scope of her business.
“When I got into real estate, I wasn’t thinking big. I thought I would sell a few houses, but I didn’t realize it would become so large, as that’s not what my vision originally was,” says Fox, who never pictured her business growing to the point where she needed to team up.
And while she was encouraged to think bigger and start a team, according to Fox, she didn’t feel as though she possessed the skills to pursue it. But transitioning into Buffini & Company’s leadership coaching program taught her otherwise.
“The leadership coaching has helped me become a stronger leader,” she says. “Not only have they provided guidance as far as how to build and effectively lead a team, but they’ve also helped me strategize in order to be efficient, providing tips on how to communicate in addition to the components of effective leadership.”
Leadership material or not, Buffini & Company’s guidance has helped Fox grow into the role in a truly successful way. And its coaching continues to help her through it, taking the time to analyze her skillset in order to propel her forward to even greater levels of success throughout the years.
“They conduct personality assessments in order to determine your strengths and weaknesses as both a team leader and team member,” says Fox, who goes on to explain that one of her biggest flaws is having to think twice about being a team player. “There’s nothing in there that says I’m a strong or natural leader, but by default I am. That’s something they’ve helped me with, and I needed it so much.”
While Fox still leans on her coach a lot, she recently decided to raise the bar even higher by earning Buffini & Company’s Certified Full-Service Professional (CFSP) certification—bringing the program to her team as well.
A true believer in following the greats—aka the most successful people in real estate—when Buffini & Company rolled out the online, on-demand training program this past August, and people signed on in droves, there was no doubt in Fox’s mind that it would be a valuable tool she couldn’t afford to overlook.
Drilling down further, Fox notes that taking the teaching aspect out of it has been helpful for her as well.
“It can be hard to dissect information yourself and pass it on since everybody learns and pockets information in their own way, so being able to have my team go through this with me is extremely valuable. Having my team members take all the courses allows us to learn and grow together at the same pace,” she says.
But the benefits don’t end there.
In fact, Fox goes on to explain that the CFSP program has been a boon when it comes to boosting team morale.
“While the team can’t always join me at Buffini & Company events, being part of the CFSP program is almost like bringing those sessions home to the team,” she says. “It allows us to get fired up while learning and growing together.”
Joining the program and working the modules has impacted the team for the better, with Fox pointing to the built-in goal-setting aspect as one of its strongest selling points.
“It’s very fulfilling when we’re able to look at all the work we’ve done and how many referrals we’ve received, and realize that we’re doing this right,” she says. “We’re meeting our goals, and it’s inspiring and encouraging.”
A powerful tool for real estate professionals looking to up the ante and take their business to the next level, Fox is well aware of the fact that coaching won’t get you anywhere unless you have the will to improve and grow. “You can learn all you want, but it will only take you so far unless you really want to be better,” she says.
That said, Fox explains that the Buffini & Company team puts a lot of work into encouraging real estate professionals to pursue being better, pointing to the CFSP program specifically.
As we continue to adapt to the new normal in the wake of the National Association of REALTORS®’ practice changes that went into effect last year, Fox also says that the CFSP program helps bring agents up to speed while being able to clearly communicate their value proposition to buyers and sellers alike.
“Buffini & Company isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, follow everything they say and you’ll be successful,” concludes Fox, who encourages those not currently taking advantage of coaching to simply choose a program and follow it.
For more information, please visit https://www.buffini.com/cfsp.