“We were stuck. We felt overwhelmed, and isolated,” says Rochelle DeClute of how her business was doing in 2013 when she finally decided to pursue coaching. “We were a small, but really successful boutique brokerage. We had completely different challenges than other real estate businesses we would speak to.”
This is a common reason why many elite agents turn to working with a business coach. On paper, they are doing well. Their business is thriving, but they feel like they aren’t going anywhere. They’re bringing in a lot of money, but the business is stagnant. For top-performing agents, the answer is not simple. That’s why Rochelle DeClute of DeClute Union Realty in Toronto decided to reach out to Ken Goodfellow and Goodfellow Coaching & Consulting.
Why She Chose Ken and Goodfellow Coaching
“Ken’s reputation really drew us in, and the fact that he only coaches top-selling REALTORS was very attractive to us. We wanted the ability to be in the room with other people like us.” For top agents, finding a coach that understands their unique needs and challenges is paramount. “To be really honest, I didn’t expect he would accept us as his own personal clients, so I was so delighted when he took us on.”
How Her Business Changed
Before starting coaching, in 2013, DeClute says her main challenge was that she was not running her business like a business. “We were reactive, day to day, all the time,” she says. “My partners and I were overwhelmed; we were working seven days per week, trying to do everything ourselves. We had no systems in place, no vacations booked, no idea how much we were making or how much we were spending too.” Now, she says coaching has helped her turn it around completely.
“Now, we have the best systems in any real estate office; I’m completely sure of that. We have amazing procedures, processes, an incredible team culture, and my partners and I try to limit ourselves to work only 200 days of the year. We’re more proactive. We work a lot less and make a lot more. We handle market changes without panicking, and we feel calm and confident about our business. I attribute most of this to our coaching with Ken.”
In coaching, we often say that you have to design the life you want to live. Rochelle and her partners have done just that. The business has grown considerably since 2013, and she has seen tangible results in both her business and personal life.
“When I started coaching, I knew Ken was known for being good with numbers,” she says. “I wanted to learn about profits and losses because that wasn’t a part of the business that I was too experienced with.”
Today, Rochelle and her team understand the numbers side of things; they create budgets, follow budgets, and can confidently run their business like a business. In addition to learning numbers, Rochelle says that team culture was another huge thing her business gained from coaching.
“Everyone wants to be here, and everyone wants to work hard,” she says. “Day-to-day, our team is always looking for ways to grow and improve. Coaching has made us more proactive and less reactive in every aspect of our business.”
DeClute also cites the Goodfellow Coaching events as a significant source of inspiration and energy driving her business forward.
“Even when we’re flat-out busy, and we feel like we aren’t ready for new ideas, we still make time for the events,” she says. “They help us learn and collaborate with others, and you really can’t get that experience anywhere else. I’ve done a lot of different types of coaching, and it’s always very intimate, so the events give us energy.”
Her Biggest Takeaway
“The biggest takeaway we get from coaching is to be proactive in every aspect from our business. From marketing, training, managing client retention, it’s all about learning to be proactive,” she says. “So that way, we’re in total control of our business; it’s not who phones next who is in control.”
Coach Ken works with clients to develop more than just a successful real estate business. “Coaching has also given us an amazing quality of life. Ken coached us on creating personal goals and taking risks.”
So, what’s the one piece of advice Rochelle DeClute has for agents who want to maximize their coaching experience? “Do what your coach says to do!” She laughs. But she means it. “We never make a business decision without talking to Ken first, and he’s never wrong.”
“Sometimes it’s hard, but you have to make yourself uncomfortable and challenge yourself because that’s how you grow.”