Coach Spotlight: Ellen Butters

“As I’ve moved through life, seasons change,” says SUCCESS real estate coach Ellen Butters. “Coaching allows me to take a skill set and move it to another area of an industry I’ve been a part of for 20 years.”

SUCCESS Coaching was a natural fit for Butters. By managing her own brokerage firm in central Virginia, she gained experience guiding agents to personal and financial well-being. Yet her mission goes far beyond “the sale.” As both a broker and a coach, her recipe for success combines service, family and faith.

A personal history of strength and service

Butters grew up in McLean, Virginia, in a home built by her father. The third of five children, she didn’t know the luxury afforded to many of her affluent Washington, D.C. suburb neighbors. Her dad worked in construction and her mother was a nurse. The family was of little means, but they always had food on the table. Most importantly, her Roman Catholic parents instilled in her a compass of faith and a work ethic that serve Butters to this day.

“My parents instilled in each of us the importance of a college education and the idea that we could achieve whatever we set out to do with honest hard work.”

With those foundations in place, Butters graduated from James Madison University with a business degree in marketing and married her husband the same year. He held deep values of service much like her own, and he retired as a U.S.Marine Corps pilot following multiple overseas deployments. Butters even recruited him to help operate her successful real estate team.

“Moving through life with the military for 20 years taught me that putting a roof over your head is a basic human need,” Butters says. “I thought strongly and personally when we’d buy or sell. It was something I endeavored to learn to do well and wanted to provide a level of expertise, knowledge and understanding to others.”

In that way, she learned at the most personal and human level that homes are a major investment for most families. Today, she brings those values and a desire to assist others to her career in real estate coaching.

Real estate coaching with a human touch

Butters describes her coaching style as akin to being a parental figure. That is, she provides kindness and guidance throughout her client’s growth process. However, she also remains mindful of the need to challenge her clients in their pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment. Part of that growth toward success lies in learning what her coaching clients really want from a career in real estate. And often, these career desires are tied to personal goals.

“From the start, we discuss why the client is choosing a career in real estate,” Butters explains. “Some clients mean to provide for their families, but a lot of people do this as a second career. So, I dig a little deeper into that. Together, we sometimes discover it’s not what they want to be doing full time. Or, that they believe the rest of the world is doing 10 transactions per day. So I ask, ‘What do you really want?’ And if you’re satisfied with two transactions per month, let’s work toward that.”

Through this system of self-discovery, Butters better understands each client’s personal, career and financial goals. Some people might want to leave their full-time job to spend additional time with their family. Others may seek full-time careers with the goal to establish their own brokerage. Like any person, career goals are unique. Once these financial goals are established, Butters brings her knowledge and decades of experience to create a personalized career development plan.

Butters’ faith fosters strength and motivation

Butters works to bring out the inner strength of every client. Her coaching students may struggle at times, but it’s a natural process. Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, she helps ensure that her students understand their own unique and God-given gifts to fly.

Doing so takes strength and energy. Like her clients, Butters actively works to fuel her own growth to share with others. As with so many aspects of her life, personal faith plays a pivotal role.

“My faith is my compass and my anchor,” Butters confides. “Daily prayer and meditation are first for me. I also read a few books at a time. Always fiction for relaxation, and business nonfiction to gain knowledge in new areas that have piqued my interest.”

Daily hiking keeps her fit, grounded and living in the moment. Travel, baking, movies and puzzles also play key roles in her life for remaining balanced. However, at the end of the day, it’s her husband and family who are deeply tied to how she approaches coaching.

“The first time we brought a child into the world, I felt that sense of responsibility,” Butters says. “The need to nourish and allow someone to grow; that is how I look at my endeavor in the world of SUCCESS Coaching.”

Training programs and contact

Butters works with two SUCCESS real estate programs: SUCCESS Real Estate Agent Training Powered by Hoss Pratt to help agents increase and master a transactional business, and SUCCESS Real Estate Leader Training Powered by Cheplak Live for team leaders and brokers.

Additionally, Butters performs one-on-one SUCCESS Coaching services. In that capacity, she works with clients to develop an annual plan, and assists in choosing the best tools and systems needed for their personal and professional success. She further personalizes client services in her programs using the SUCCESS Wheel and a DISC Assessment.

Butters works closely with all of her clients to understand the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why they have chosen coaching.

“I usually dig a little more during each session to either get clarity on a goal or change it,” Butters explains. “The coaching is more self-discovery as we move through the process. I use experiences and metaphors to help clients overcome fears so that they can move forward.”

From organizational skills and goal-setting to tactical details, Butters provides the experience and care her clients need, while always holding herself accountable for their progress.

Get in touch with Ellen Butters today to begin your journey!