No matter how experienced, every real estate professional can benefit from training, and Tom Ferry is the gold standard in the industry.
Photo courtesy of Tom Ferry
Tom Ferry • 888.866.3377 • www.tomferry.com
Tiger Woods never stopped relying on a coach, and the most successful professionals in any field recognize the value of consistent training. Over the last decade, real estate has become such a dynamic, rapidly evolving industry that most agents are too busy chasing deals to capitalize on new trends and techniques that can make them more successful.
Tom Ferry, founder and CEO of Ferry International, specializes in coaching and training real estate agents through one-on-one counseling, experiential training events and online productivity products. Explaining that his specialty of motivating people is literally in his DNA, Ferry reports, “Most people were raised on milk and cookies. I was raised on Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and my dad, Mike Ferry.” At 18 the younger Ferry joined the family business, learning everything from the ground up.
Acclaimed as charismatic and inspirational, Tom Ferry denies being naturally gifted, commenting, “When I first started out as a presenter, I was horrible.” He jests, “When somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I saw you back in ’93,’ I want to tell them ‘Oh, I’m sorry … I should probably give you a refund.’” Trained by renowned speech coach Ron Arden, Ferry developed his current style, reinforcing his belief that any skill can be taught. “There are no bad audiences, only unprepared presenters,” says Ferry, who enjoys both individual sessions and conference centers packed with 6,000 clients.
In his 30 years as a leading real estate coach, Ferry has perfected sales skills, marketing systems and team-building techniques that help agents not only succeed but dominate their markets. Ferry and his team have coached more than 30,000 agents, holding them accountable to fulfilling their greatness. “Today the key to any successful business is trust, and I help my clients scale trust,” states Ferry, who reports the best agents are keenly aware that closing deals and building a client base both depend on trust.
Insisting organizations sustain themselves through innovation, Ferry believes business professionals should reinvent themselves every 18 to 24 months. “At my large events, I deliver 20 to 100 strategies, techniques and marketing campaigns, but you need to pick the three that are right for you, your market and your maturity as a businessperson,” says Ferry. In his list of “superpowers” of successful real estate agents — items like effective negotiation, marketing and business development are naturally among them — the primary superpower is empathy, a quality that builds trust and relationships.
Addressing organizational philosophy, Ferry states, “Team leaders need to have the ability to transfer skills to maintain the continuity of the client experience.” He adds for emphasis, “I would never
invest in a company whose CEO had the attitude, ‘Nobody can do it better than me,’ because that’s a non-scalable business.” All of Ferry’s work is built on the premise: “The consumer deserves a higher quality real estate agent and experience.”
The Orange County, California-based Ferry enjoys investing in a wide range of companies, from technology to spirits, and sits on the board of directors of Miracles for Kids, a non-profit serving families with critically ill children. And while he enjoys golf, the coach admits to a healthy obsession with business, believing every person should identify his or her natural skills and pursue them with intensity.
“I want to coach, create, connect, and contribute,” says Tom Ferry, who is uniquely qualified to teach you to maximize your own skills and passions.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE GLOBAL 2019 ISSUE OF UNIQUE HOMES. TO SEE THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
