This month, Real Estate magazine had the chance to sit down with Amy Somerville, Buffini & Company’s new vice president of professional development and industry engagement, to discuss the importance of team coaching and training.
Keith Loria: How did you get started in the real estate industry?
Amy Somerville: I started 19 years ago as an agent with RE/MAX in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before joining a team with my husband and becoming a team leader. My husband and I took the opportunity to move to Denver, and we both ended up transitioning from entrepreneurs as independent agents to working inside RE/MAX headquarters as employees. Within a couple years, my husband went back to the life of a commercial agent, and I went on to become an executive at RE/MAX world headquarters.
KL: What led you to Buffini & Company?
AS: One of my roles at RE/MAX headquarters was overseeing RE/MAX University’s professional development, so I had a relationship with Buffini & Company as a coaching and training company that was providing value to RE/MAX agents worldwide. I left RE/MAX and started my own independent consulting company to further my passion of helping real estate brokers and agents be successful. When I had the opportunity to align my passion with Buffini & Company’s mission of impacting and improving the lives of people, it was a great fit for me.
KL: Why is coaching and training so important in 2022?
AS: I think it’s the season for coaching and development, especially coming off of COVID, as it has become very clear that relationships and connections are some of the most important resources we have. We need to learn to take our businesses to the next level. If you’re looking to grow your business, increase your productivity and your success level, or you have aspirations you want to reach, coaching and training are the only way.
KL: In what ways does Buffini & Company help real estate professionals achieve their goals?
AS: Buffini & Company is relationship-based, which is something that people are feeling today. From a customer service experience, over the last couple of years, anything from going to the grocery store to trying to get additional access on one’s cellphone has become very complicated. That being said, a heavy focus on the relationship is a great opportunity for Buffini & Company. If you’re not growing and developing, you’re stagnant and dying. When it comes to sales, most people who are attracted to the business are driven individuals who are not only learning-based, but who are also looking to take their business to the next level and provide a higher level of service to their customers.
KL: Did you find obstacles standing in your way as you rose to the position you’re in today?
AS: I feel lucky to have worked with great men who believed in raising up great women. My father is one of those people who taught me from a very young age that there’s nothing I couldn’t accomplish. He encouraged me to take risks and get out of my comfort zone. A driving force from the beginning was to create the life I want, rather than depend on anyone else. The balls we have to juggle as women often include running the household and being mentors, as well as someone who our children look up to. There’s definitely pressure when it comes to adding the roles and responsibilities of being a leader at the office.
KL: Why is it important for women to mentor other women?
AS: I would love to see more women in leadership raise up more women in leadership. There’s an incredible opportunity for women in real estate to be successful entrepreneurs and provide a level of balance. Looking at Buffini & Company as an organization, they are absolutely encouraging. One of the reasons I was excited to join the team is because of the interest they have shown in mentoring me. In the end, it’s not just about leaning on women leaders to lead women. There are incredible men out there dedicated to growing women leaders as well.
KL: How do you encourage leadership in others?
AS: My role is to help people identify their strengths so that they can grow as individuals. What do they want to accomplish, and how can I work alongside them and help them achieve that? If you have a dream, and you know what you want to accomplish, I can help you build the pathway to get there.
KL: What are you most excited about this year?
AS: We’re going to be all over the country, and in some cases, back to live events, which is exciting. One of the reasons I was brought onboard is to help impact the company’s re-engineered team coaching offering. Buffini & Company is doing some great things as far as providing a career path to agents who are brand new to this business, as well as those who are looking to break personal ceilings in boosting productivity. No one else is offering that full experience, and I’m excited to be part of the team.
To learn more about Amy’s view on real estate teams, watch this previously recorded event: “Teams: The Future of Real Estate.”
Keith Loria is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
