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2026 August

August 2026

Welcome to the latest issue of the Buffini Newsletter. This month we’re unpacking the idea that there’s excellence in the ordinary. There’s no shortage of shiny objects out there vying for your attention. But we know, and you’ll see from the Coach’s Tip, Member Spotlight and a great article from Brian Buffini, that the way to succeed is to focus on the fundamentals with consistency.

If you know of anyone that would benefit from this great information, please share it with them. We are NEVER too busy for your referrals. And if someone shared this with you, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a future issue.

Make sure you subscribe so you never miss a future issue.

Enjoy!

Derek Jones,
Director of Community

In This Issue

Your business is like a song

By Darrin Jackson, Leadership Coach

In addition to being a Leadership Coach, I’m also a songwriter on the side. Over the years, I’ve realized that there are so many parallels between creating music and succeeding in the real estate business.

Like successful songwriters, the most successful agents I’ve coached weren’t always the most talented or the most creative. They were the most consistent. They focused on doing the right things over and over again until those actions became part of who they were, not just what they do. Eventually, their clients started telling their story for them and became raving fans.

Here are three lessons songwriting has taught me about building a business by referral.

Write a memorable chorus

People rarely remember every verse of a song, but they almost always remember the chorus. It’s simple. It’s repeated. It sticks with them long after the music stops.

The chorus ensures that every great song has one clear message. Your business should have one too.

What do people consistently experience when they work with you? Is it exceptional communication? Genuine care? Calm confidence? Whatever it is, make sure every client experiences that same “chorus.”

People don’t refer confusion. They refer consistency.

Keep playing the same song

One of the biggest mistakes we make is believing success comes from finding the next great idea. More often than not, success comes from faithfully executing the proven fundamentals all the way to mastery.

Some of the most famous musicians packed stadiums with tens of thousands of fans every night playing songs they wrote decades ago. Why? Because a great song is a great song.

It’s no different with calls, notes, and Pop-Bys. The more you can master those fundamentals and keep yourself from getting distracted by the shiny objects out there, the more stable your business will become.

Years ago, I coached an agent who spent more time questioning the system than working it. Near the end of his first year, he told me he wouldn’t be renewing his coaching membership.

After listening, I challenged him.

“If you’re going to leave,” I said, “then leave knowing you gave the system everything you had. Stop questioning it and commit to working it for the rest of the year.”

He did exactly that.

A couple of months after his coaching ended my phone rang. It was him.

He laughed and said, “I need to come back. I created more business than I know what to do with.”

The system hadn’t changed.

His consistency, belief, and mindset had.

Know when the audience starts singing

Every songwriter dreams of hearing a crowd singing their lyrics back to them.

In real estate, that’s what referrals are.

When your clients begin telling others about you without being prompted, they’re singing your song. They trust you enough to put their own reputation on the line by recommending you.

That’s the ultimate goal.

You don’t have to be the loudest voice in your market. You simply need to be the one people remember and stay at the top of their minds.

Like a great song, a great referral business isn’t built on complexity. It’s built on authentic relationships, consistent actions, and a message worth repeating.

Play the long game and stay in tune. One day you’ll discover that your clients have learned the chorus and that they’re singing it to everyone they know!

Ready to build a business that creates raving fans? Contact us for a free Business Consultation. In this 30-minute call, we’ll help you get clear on your vision, identify what’s holding you back, see what’s working for others just like you, and discover your next step.

The Wrong Crowd Is Costing You

My mother used to say, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” I hated that phrase when I was a kid, but the older I get, the more I realize that she was right.

The ancient scriptures actually noted this as well: bad company corrupts good character. In other words, you might be a person of good character, but if you’re hanging out with bad characters, you’re going to get corrupted over time.

When you spend enough time around certain people, you start to talk like them and think like them. You normalize what they normalize and aim for what they aim for. Not because you’re weak, but because you’re human.

If your circle complains, cuts corners, or settles, you slowly shrink without noticing it. If your circle grows, learns, takes responsibility, and dreams bigger, you expand without forcing it.

Intentionally Seek Out Your Tribe

Post-COVID, we’ve become an isolated culture. We’re comfortable being by ourselves. Every word of criticism feels harsher. Every slight feels bigger. And so we’ve retreated from people. But when we lean into great associations, they help us become more than who we are.

In this business, we have self-employed people. We have to take the “self” out of self-employed. You can’t just do this alone.

Consider joining a local group, like a chamber of commerce, BNI or LeTip.

For our Members, we have over 350 small groups throughout the U.S. and Canada that meet monthly to brainstorm and encourage each other.

We formed these groups for ambitious people who wanted to change their lives but found they were in a minority position in their companies and offices. They wanted to seek out people who were on the growth journey themselves. They not only help each other with business matters but also with the inevitable bumps in the road we all encounter at one time or another.

Set Your Boundaries

Dr. Henry Cloud, who we’ve featured at our events, wrote a groundbreaking book, Boundaries. In it he notes that the people you meet in life fall into different categories. You have the ones who are family, of course, and then others who you want to cultivate relationships with. There are also those who you need to become indifferent to.

I will not extend myself, and I will not repeatedly expose myself to people who repeatedly go out of their way to offend me or get under my skin, or I find myself carrying their weight with me. I also won’t stay angry with someone because that anger is like eating poison. So I just won’t do that at all.

I treasure the relationships that are closest to me. I’ve learned to build tolerance for myself and others with those relationships, and I will go to the nth degree for those. Of course, there will be cuts and bruises and bumps and lumps along the way because we’re all human.

The fact of the matter is we need to limit the negative people in our life. We need to intentionally seek out the positive, connect with small groups, connect with like-minded people and connect with “birds of a feather.” And if we do that, we really will have a blueprint to limit the negative people in our lives and increase the positive.

CTA

Each week on his new show, The Brian Buffini Show, Brian discusses the big questions and the real-world solutions. Each episode blends perspective with action, offering principles and tools that help you gain clarity, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward living your best life. Watch the latest episode here.

Three things to know from the new NAR member profile

By Brian Buffini, Chairman and Founder

Each year, the National Association of REALTORS® puts out a comprehensive report that provides an overview of its members, including their demographics, business practices, experience, income, and technology use. The report is based on a survey sent to the membership over the past year, with the data then analyzed and reviewed by NAR leadership. While the report is chock-full of interesting stats, there are three in particular I think are important for real estate professionals to pay particular attention to.

1. Referrals and repeat customers are still key.

The typical REALTOR® earned 28% of their business from repeat clients and 22% from referrals from past clients. That’s half of their business from repeats and referrals.

What does this mean for you? There’s a lot of chatter online about ways to engage with leads, including social media and AI. These are no doubt, important. But when you come down to it, the majority of people want to work with someone they know and trust. They don’t care how many clicks or views your posts get. They care about your professionalism and how you will serve them during a stressful, expensive time in their lives.

Some of our clients say they have even higher referral rates, while others work exclusively by referral. The bottom line is working by referral works. It did for me, it does for our Members, and if you commit to the program, it will work for you as well.

2. Almost all current real estate professionals anticipate that they will be in business two years from now.

The last few years have seen a number of agents leaving the industry. Based on NAR’s projections, membership is expected to decline by approximately 400,000 from its 2022 peak of 1.6 million to the end of 2026.

According to those surveyed, 75% are “very certain” they will remain in the market for the next two years, with another 17% reporting that they are “somewhat” certain. That’s 92% of those REALTORS.

What does this mean for you? Real estate is a great business, but it’s a tough business. Many of the agents who were in it for the easy money, when mortgage rates were low and houses were off the market in mere hours, have now headed for the exit. For those who choose to stay, the opportunities are there. That clears out the playing field for those who want to win.

Buffini & Company is committed to helping its Members end up on the winning side. We are constantly investing in new technology and training programs geared toward helping you succeed in the year ahead and beyond.

3. The median gross income reported was $41,700.

Those who are licensed as sales agents typically reported a median income of $41,700, unchanged from 2024. 

What does this mean for you? For agents who want to rise to the top, lead generation has to be your top priority. The best leads will be warm referrals from those who know you and trust you.

That’s the heart of our Ultimate Year in Real Estate program. The industry’s top lead-generating program, it’s designed to help you generate more referrals, leading to one extra transaction a month and earning you an average of $128,000 in additional annual income.

This program is a fun, systematic way using our proven, time-honored principles of calls, notes, and Pop-Bys as a way to help fill your pipeline throughout the year with high-value leads. Each week you’ll get a focused program with daily action steps that will inspire and keep your momentum going. You’ll also receive support through a series of weekly videos (featuring yours truly), professionally designed marketing assets, and much more.

At the end of the day, it’s good to know what’s happening in the industry, but the stats that really matter are yours. And we want to help make yours really shine! If you haven’t signed up yet for the Ultimate Year in Real Estate, do yourself a favor and check it out now. If you’ve already been working the program, congrats! I’d love to hear your success story at brianb@buffini.com.

The sale isn't over at 'sold'

By Carol Foderick, Broker/Owner of the Carol Foderick Real Estate Group

In this blog, Carol Foderick shares the process her team uses to keep clients informed, reassured, and cared for from an accepted offer to close. She’ll expand on this on our Community Connection webinar Wednesday, August 26 at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

Most agents work incredibly hard to earn a client’s trust before an offer is accepted. We perfect our listing presentations, sharpen our negotiation skills, and celebrate when we hear those two wonderful words: firm deal (that’s Canadian for “offer accepted”).

But here’s the truth:

That isn’t the finish line.

It’s the beginning of one of the most important parts of the client experience.

I’ve always believed that the period between a firm deal and closing is where exceptional service separates itself from average service. It’s the point where clients move from excitement to uncertainty. Questions start piling up, timelines become confusing and stress begins to creep in. It’s in that moment that systems make all the difference.

The real purpose of systems

When people hear the word systems, they often think about checklists, software, or administrative processes. Those things certainly matter, but they’re only tools. A true system is an intentionally designed client experience. It’s a process that’s documented, repeatable, and consistently delivered regardless of who’s involved.

Great systems don’t exist to make our jobs easier; they exist to make our clients feel cared for.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is assuming the transaction is essentially over once the deal goes firm. In reality, clients still need guidance. They want to know what happens next, what they should be doing, who they should contact, and what to expect on closing day.

Instead of waiting for those questions to arrive, we’ve built a process that answers them before they’re ever asked.

Update your clients every step of the way

Our clients receive thoughtful “next steps” communications that walk them through every stage of the closing process. We provide trusted recommendations for lawyers and mortgage professionals, explain upcoming milestones, share timelines, and continue checking in throughout the weeks leading up to closing. Nothing is left to chance because nothing should feel uncertain for the client.

One of my favorite reminders is this:

Clients may forget the details, but they never forget how you made them feel.

That idea shapes every decision we make. Sometimes it’s a simple congratulatory bouquet delivered after the offer is accepted. It may be a curated closing gift or a beautifully organized package containing both digital and physical copies of important documents after possession. Or it may be simply reaching out before clients feel the need to call us. None of these gestures are complicated on their own, but together they communicate something powerful: We’re still here for you.

Consistency is key

The same philosophy applies inside your business. If your process only exists in your head, it isn’t really a system. If every transaction depends on remembering dozens of details, eventually something important will be missed. Documenting your workflows creates consistency, protects your brand, and gives every client the same high-quality experience. It also allows your team to confidently deliver that experience without everything depending on one person.

Whether you’re a solo agent with a printed checklist or a growing team using sophisticated project management software, the principle is exactly the same:

Start simple, build intentionally, and improve consistently.

The systems you create today don’t just make tomorrow’s transactions easier. They create memorable experiences that clients talk about long after closing, and that’s where referrals are born.

The transaction may end on closing day, but the relationship shouldn’t.

Carol will share the system her team uses to provide excellent service through the closing process on our Community Connection webinar Wednesday, August 26, at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

Orlando Spicer

Orlando Spicer was, by most measures, a successful realtor. Working out of Brockville, Ontario, he was consistently in the top 10% of his market, growing his transaction count every single year, and landing in the high-20s to low-30s range annually. From the outside, it looked like everything was working.

But behind the numbers was a different story.

“But what people wouldn’t have seen behind the scenes is the amount of hours I was putting into it because I was trying to do everything myself,” he recalled. “I didn’t have any type of system or support to make it more efficient.”

A mindset shift at one event

Everything began to change when Orlando attended a one-day Buffini & Company event in Toronto.

“I’d already been using  Referral Maker PRO, but I wasn’t using it religiously by any means. So I thought, ‘I’ll learn some more tools and tricks and I’ll add that into my bag,’” he said.

The moment that hit hardest for him, he recalled, was watching another Buffini member’s Good Life Story.

“I saw the person on the screen talking about their family life and talking about their business thriving and how they had delegated different tasks. And it just looked like the life I wanted to lead,” he said. “I saw myself, or my future self, in that video and I wanted to do anything I could to make that happen.”

Within a month, he signed up for One2One Coaching.

Getting honest about systems

Orlando’s first coach asked him a simple question: what were his systems and processes for buyer pathways, seller pathways, marketing, lead generation?

“My initial answer was, ‘I just do what I do,’” Orlando admitted. “And he’s like, ‘no, what’s your system? What’s your process?’ I kind of had to say, ‘I don’t have any.’”

His first year in coaching was dedicated to documenting everything, starting with the administrative tasks Orlando liked least. He brought on his sister Brenda as his first administrator. The transformation was immediate. Tasks he’d been doing slowly and reluctantly were now offloaded to someone who genuinely loved that kind of work. His calendar opened up. And with that freedom, Orlando leaned into what he did best: being with people.

“By shifting [admin tasks] into systems and being able to replace myself with other people doing those tasks, it really freed me up to do the things that I like doing and that were more income-generating,” he added.

He started hosting monthly client appreciation events, which have now become a cornerstone of his referral-based business.

Leveling up to leadership!

After nailing the fundamentals, Orlando’s One2One coach told him he was ready for Leadership Coaching. The jump came with a bigger price tag and some nerves — but also a clear sense that it was time.

His Leadership Coach, Peggy, helped him build buyer agent contracts, compensation plans, and an “agent avatar” defining exactly who he was looking for. She showed him how to run team meetings, craft a value proposition for incoming agents, and how to build capacity before bringing on new team members.

“Getting into Leadership Coaching was massive for me,” he added. “And being in a Leadership Group, learning from other high performers, really set me up for the exponential growth I had over the last two years.”

Orlando’s good life

Today, his team has two administrators and two buyer agents. Orlando coaches his daughter’s soccer and basketball, does the school drop-off every morning, takes daddy-daughter days to Ottawa, and has weekly date nights with his wife.

“To me, the good life is having the freedom to prioritize the things that need to be prioritized. When I’m present in my business, I’m there and I’m present in it. And when I’m at home with my family on a Sunday afternoon, I’m there. It’s really about being present where I am and being the best version of myself,” he said.

As far as his career goes, Orlando noted that the “biggest thing I’m excited about right now is my team feels like a bit of a startup. We’re all growing and learning together. We all have this mindset of excitement about what could be.

“Without the leadership group, and without Peggy guiding me on how to build this team, I just don’t think any of that would have been possible.”

Watch Orlando's story here.

PREVIOUS ISSUES

July 2026: Your Business, Your Way
June 2026: Make Connections That Count
May 2026: Cut Through the Noise