The Case for Small Real Estate Teams with Brian Buffini | Ep 096

11 snips

Jan 20, 2026

Brian Buffini, founder of Buffini & Company and real estate coaching pioneer, shares his remarkable journey from selling 100 homes a year in the late '80s to leading successful teams. He discusses why teams represent the future of real estate, who should build them, and the various team models available. Brian offers insights on self-management, finding the right assistant, and avoiding the pitfalls of mid-sized teams. His personal stories and guiding principles reveal how reconnecting with purpose can reignite passion and drive in business.

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INSIGHT

Lead Yourself First

You must manage and lead yourself before you can lead others effectively.
If you refuse self-development and leadership growth, you should not start a team.

ANECDOTE

Pre-Internet Hustle That Sparked A Team

Brian sold 100+ homes using flip charts, VHS promos, and intense personal systems pre-internet.
He raised average sale price to do more revenue in less time and turned those experiments into team ideas.

ANECDOTE

Radio Leads Exposed Training Gaps

Radio call-ins produced a surplus of referral leads that Brian started handing to office agents.
He discovered untrained agents wasted leads, so he began training, tracking callbacks, and enforcing 24-hour rules.

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Brian Buffini started a real estate team before teams were a thing. Back in 1992. Back before brokerages had any idea what to do with a team.

Today, Buffini & Company coaches and trains agents, team leaders, and broker owners around the world.

All along, Brian’s viewed teams as “the future of real estate.” But team leadership isn’t for everyone and aspirations for a mega team aren’t necessary.

Brian was kind enough to be a guest on our show as I was a guest at his Buffini Coaching live event to share decades of insights, experience, and influence.

With a live audience of hundreds of real estate professionals, Brian sat down with me to share what it took to sell 100 homes in a year in the late 80s, why teams emerged, who should (and shouldn’t) build a team, what the main team models are, where “Death Valley” is for team leaders, what leaders must stay focused on and watch out for ... and much more!

A HUGE thank you to Brian and his entire team for welcoming me into their community in such an open and sincere way!

Watch or listen for Brian Buffini’s insights into:

0:00 Intro and welcome
1:42 Leading and managing yourself (in order to lead and manage others)
4:11 What it took to sell 100 homes/year in the late 1980s with one assistant
7:17 Why and how he started a team in the early 1990s (and why he struggled initially)
14:42 Why he’s long viewed teams as “the future of real estate” and who teams are best for
17:27 Why referring out excess business is a good first step toward a team
20:10 How to find your first assistant
22:49 What other stages of team maturity look like and the key to finding your right size (spoiler: 4-7 is a sweet spot)
24:45 Why 80% of agents should keep selling (perhaps with a team to support them)
30:00 What the hardest thing about real estate is (and what mistakes that leads to)
32:09 How to restore connection with the people and relationships that matter most (your customers and your team)
35:33 A leadership lesson from NFL and NASCAR champion Joe Gibbs

39:05 At the end, learn about A and B teams, hotel soaps and sewing kits, and the power of ohana and the ocean.

Connect with Brian Buffini:
→ https://www.instagram.com/brian_buffini/
→ https://www.instagram.com/buffiniandco
→ https://www.buffini.com/solutions/realstrengths/
→ https://www.buffini.com/solutions/blitz/

Connect with Real Estate Team OS
→ https://www.realestateteamos.com
→ https://linktr.ee/realestateteamos
→ https://www.instagram.com/realestateteamos/