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2026 March

Buffini Newsletter

Built on referrals. Backed by systems. Strengthened by community.

March 2026

In this month’s issue, we’re focusing on how to wrap up the first quarter to ensure you have a great second quarter and rest of the year. It’s a great time to see what went well, where you came up a little short and where adjustments need to be made.

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

Enjoy!

Derek Jones,
Director of Community

In This Issue

A Simple, Honest Q1 Check-In

By the end of the first quarter, many professionals feel left behind. If you’re feeling that way as well, you’re not alone. For many people, the first quarter doesn’t go off the rails because of a lack of effort. It happens because the calendar fills up, priorities compete, and before you know it, you’re reacting more than you’re leading.

That’s why a Q1 review doesn’t need to be a long, complex, or uncomfortable process. It simply needs to be honest.

A helpful place to start is with one simple reflection: Am I running my plan — or letting urgency set the agenda?

The first quarter of a new year has a way of revealing this quickly. Clients’ needs start to take priority and we tend to fall in line with the tyranny of the urgent. None of this means you’ve failed — it just means you’ve gathered valuable information. So now, let’s refine your direction!

A Real-Life Assessment

The goal of a first-quarter review isn’t to decide whether you’re “ahead” or “behind,” it’s to notice how the plan is working in real life, not just on paper. This is the time to pause and reflect. By giving yourself the gift of this space to evaluate your business, you will start to notice where a small adjustment could create more momentum moving forward.

Remember, goals are rarely achieved in January alone — they are built in the months that follow. The year hasn’t been decided yet — but this course correction matters.

I want you to give yourself permission to adjust the plan! High performers allow themselves to be focused and flexible with their goals.

I recently had a client who was frustrated with their first quarter. They were busy with transactions but felt discouraged by the lack of progress on some of their other 5 Circle goals. Once we reviewed the quarter honestly, they could see the trade-offs they had been making with their time and energy. By the end, they realized they didn’t need to work harder. The pressure lifted and the focus shifted to how to realign their plan moving forward.

Move Into Q2 with Intention

As you look ahead to the next quarter, keep your review simple:

  • What helped move the needle?
  • What consistently pulled you into reaction mode?
  • What is one change that you can make next quarter that will have the biggest positive impact on your business?

You don’t need a perfect first quarter to have a successful year. You just need the willingness to tell yourself the truth — and move forward with intention.

Crush Your Second Quarter — and Beyond!

Are you ready to start now and create a plan that will help you make your second quarter — and beyond — successful? Contact us for a free Business Consultation. In this 30-minute call, we’ll help you: Get clear on your vision, uncover what’s holding you back, see what’s working for others just like you and discover your next step.

The Power of Habits

I’ve been in the real estate business for nearly 40 years and chairman of Buffini & Company for 30 years. I truly believe what set me apart — and sets our Members apart from others in the business — is a focus on great habits.

The Habits That Create Results

I know, in this fast-paced world, it can be too easy to want to take shortcuts or try new ways. At Buffini, we are always creating content that is fresh, updated, and designed to help you succeed. We’re also constantly offering live and virtual events, providing you the chance to hear from some of the world’s greatest thought leaders.

But at the heart of the Work by Referral™ system is the time-tested foundational habits that have worked — and continue to do so — for our Members. Habits like goal setting, tracking in your CRM, asking for referrals and the fundamentals of calls, notes and Pop-Bys … it all matters.

These habits are important to do no matter how the market is reacting but are especially so when times (like now) are a little bit tougher. It may take longer to get the results you want but stick with it, and the wins will come.

An Unexpected Success Story

One of my favorite examples of this took place just last year. One of our Members, Kimberly Stevenson, had set her goals in her CRM to hit a projected target of $8.4M in sales. She then diligently did the daily action steps and kept up with calls, notes and Pop-Bys. Months later, Kimberly was amazed. Not only did she hit her goal, but she also blew by it by 55%, reaching $13M in sales.

It turns out Kimberly had initially input some incorrect data into the CRM. That resulted in her daily steps being set to help her reach that higher target. But because she followed the process, and kept up her habits, she achieved fantastic success.

Change Your Mindset — and See What Happens Next

Many times, it’s our own mind that’s holding us back from what we can achieve. We’re full of self-doubt and impatience. We want instant results. But true success takes time and work. So don’t give up — and you may just find yourself like Kimberly, reaping results beyond what you first imagined.

If your results aren’t where you want them to be yet this year, it might be the habits you have — and the ones that you don’t — that are holding you back. Contact us today for a free Business Consultation and we’ll help you gain some clarity on a path forward for a successful second quarter of 2026 and beyond.

A Quarterly Review That Puts People First

In this blog, 12-year Buffini Member Melanie Northcutt shares her approach to quarterly reviews with her team. She’ll share more on our Community Connection webinar Wednesday, March 25, at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

Have you ever wrapped up a quarter and thought, “I worked hard… but what did I really learn? And what should I focus on next?”

For many real estate agents, quarters don’t end with clarity — they end with exhaustion. You’re juggling clients, family, finances, team dynamics, and your own well-being. And when everything feels urgent, reflection is usually the first thing to go.

That’s exactly why I stopped treating quarterly reviews as just a numbers check.

At Sugar Magnolia Properties, we call them goal meetings — because they’re not just about production. They’re about alignment.

A Five-Part Framework for Goal Meetings

Over time, I developed a simple five-part framework to help agents grow as whole people — not just producers. You’ll notice it connects perfectly with the Buffini 5 Circles.

Even if you don’t lead a team, this framework works just as powerfully for a solo agent. These same five categories can guide your own personal quarterly reset.

Each quarter, we reflect on:

  • Personal well-being – How’s your energy? Stress level? Self-care?
  • Spiritual and emotional health – Are you grounded, or carrying too much mental load?
  • Family and relationships – What’s happening at home? Where do you need support?
  • Business and production – What’s working in your pipeline? What needs attention?
  • Financial confidence – Are you clear on your numbers and your personal stability?

A People-First Approach

If an agent’s life is out of alignment, their business will be too.

But the real power isn’t just the categories — it’s the structure.

One simple shift that makes quarterly reviews more meaningful is this:
Instead of starting with production numbers, start with energy.

Before you look at pipeline or GCI, ask:

  • On a scale of 1–10, how are you really doing?
  • Where are you feeling stretched?
  • What’s draining you right now?

When you start there, the business conversation changes. You begin solving root issues instead of surface metrics. Sometimes the “production problem” isn’t lead gen — it’s burnout. Or lack of margin. Or something happening at home.

That’s why each quarter becomes an anchor point — a dedicated space to reflect, reset, and intentionally realign before small issues turn into big ones.

Leadership isn’t about numbers first. It’s about people first.

If you’ve ever felt like your quarterly reviews are rushed, surface-level, or overly focused on production — and you want a simple, structured way to help agents grow personally, professionally, and financially — this framework might be exactly what you’ve been missing.

Melanie Northcutt will dive deeper into her quarterly review approach on our Community Connection webinar Wednesday, March 25, at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.

From Podcast to Platform: A New Chapter Built for You

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know this already — everything we do is with intention.

We don’t do hype for hype’s sake. We don’t chase noise. We build things that last. And that’s exactly why we’re so excited to finally share what’s coming next: The Brian Buffini Show.

This isn’t a departure from what you’ve supported for years. It’s a deeper expression of it. You’ve trusted Brian Buffini for guidance in business, you’ve leaned in for perspective on leadership, money, and family and you’ve shown up to grow, not just professionally, but personally too.

In March, the 10-year anniversary of the podcast, It’s a Good Life turns the page on a new chapter. We’re expanding into an umbrella network, and at the same time, returning to our roots with The Brian Buffini Show. You’ll still find the podcast in all the familiar places you’ve always listened. But now, we’re building it with watching in mind too – filmed as a web show and distributed on YouTube, so you can not only hear the conversation, you can step into the room with us.

This show was built for you. Think of it as pulling a chair up closer to the conversation. Every episode is designed the way Brian has always coached – honest, direct, practical, and just irreverent enough to keep it human. The new format has four distinct segments:

Give Me a Minute is exactly what it sounds like. Sixty seconds that cut through the chaos. A quick reset. A perspective shift. The kind of truth that hits you in the chest and makes you say, “Yep… I needed that.” Sometimes all it takes is one clear thought to change the direction of your whole day.

Brian’s Blueprint goes deeper. This is where the experience shows up. The hard-won lessons. The fundamentals that actually build wealth, strengthen families, and create real impact. No theory, but rather a roadmap — what works, why it works, and how you can apply it immediately.

Then there’s Ask Mr. B, and this one feels personal. Anna Buffini sits down with her dad and brings the questions we all carry but don’t always say out loud. The doubts. The second-guessing. The “Am I handling this right?” moments. It’s warm. It’s honest. It’s a window into conversations that feel like they’re happening at your own kitchen table.

For Coach ‘Em Up you’ll get to watch Brian do what he does best: listen deeply, see the whole field, and call the next play with clarity and conviction. This is real-time, live coaching, giving you the opportunity to engage. No scripts, no polish – just honest conversations and in-the-moment breakthroughs. Because sometimes the most powerful growth doesn’t just come from being coached, it comes from watching coaching happen. From seeing the standard rise. From hearing the question you didn’t even know you needed to ask.

The heart of The Brian Buffini Show isn’t about expanding a platform. It’s about expanding impact. You’ve been building businesses, families, legacies and you’ve chosen growth over comfort. You’ve stayed committed when it wasn’t easy and this show is here to serve that commitment.

We’re not starting something new. We’re going further together. And truly… we can’t wait for you to experience what’s coming next. 

Be sure to follow, subscribe and stay connected across socials and YouTube: thebrianbuffinishow.

Jody Huffmaster

Many people become real estate agents because they are attracted to the flexibility the business offers. For Jody Huffmaster and her husband, Andy, that reason was important as well. The couple has three children, one of whom has special needs.

But while flexibility is attractive, it must also be accompanied by superior skills and accountability. Many agents do not have those qualities. But Jody Huffmaster does. She has not only succeeded but excelled, despite what she calls her “imposter syndrome” and the challenges of the past few years. Her success is due, she said, in great part to Buffini & Company and in particular, her coach, Scott.

Early Introduction to Buffini

It was actually her husband who first got his license, with Jody following a year later.

Shortly thereafter, she was introduced to Buffini & Company when her brokerage sponsored a Peak Producers course. Jody quickly realized this was a model she wanted to use for her business and signed up for One2One Coaching.

Value of Coaching

From her early days as a new agent to her current role as a successful broker/owner, Jody has faced moments of self-doubt. Working with her coach has helped her navigate those challenges, she said.

“Scott always takes whatever crazy thing I throw at him and helps me piece out exactly what the new goals are and break them down into obtainable, smaller goals,” she said. “With my goal now to spend more family time but still maintain the business, Scott helped me find the right agent to assist with buyers and become a partner in my business.”

Her coach has also helped her move forward on her goal of owning investment property.

“We live in a heavily military area, so we have a lot of owners who have to rent their homes out once they receive orders, until they have enough equity to sell,” she explained. “That gave us insider knowledge of homes coming to the market that would make good rentals or already had tenants.”

“We started purchasing one to two homes a year. During this time we also purchased 45 acres of our dream property to build our forever home,” she noted. “Scott was there helping every step of the way either with my business, my personal investments, and other big decisions we had to make in our lives.”

In 2019, the couple bought the RE/MAX Real Estate Connection franchise in Cabot, Arkansas. It was a challenging time, Jody admitted. A number of agents left to join other firms and COVID soon hit. Their property management firm was also impacted, losing 35% of the homes they managed.

With the support of her coach, as well as their Buffini community, the couple persevered, purchasing a building that would also incorporate rental space.

Jody has since successfully recruited and doubled the number of agents on her team. They all follow, she noted, the Buffini model of striving for competence, professionalism, and growth.

“I want to focus on being a bright light for them in a market that is struggling,” she said of her goals for her team. “A place they know they are loved and supported — and a place for powerhouse agents in Cabot to come and know they’re in the best place to grow in all circles of their lives.”

Their property management business has also rebounded, with over 400 doors, three fulltime agents and an in-house accountant.

Jody’s Good Life

For Jody and her family, working with Buffini has changed their lives in many ways. The financial stability has allowed them to build their dream home, invest in properties, and travel. They were also able to fully pay for their daughter’s college education without incurring debt.

For the agent who once felt like an imposter, life is now full of happiness, goals met — and gratitude.

Watch Jody's story here.

PREVIOUS ISSUES

April 2026: Find Your Business Rhythm
February 2026: Let’s Keep Your Goals Moving
January 2026: Get Your Year Off to a Great Start!