Buffini launches The Agent-First CEO, a free weekly podcast for team leaders and brokerage owners
Hosted by Chief Ambassador Ethan Beute, each episode features a leader who shows how productive agents drive better recruiting, retention, and profit.
CARLSBAD, CA — Nov. 11, 2026 — Buffini™ today launched The Agent-First CEO™, a free weekly podcast for real estate team leaders and brokerage owners. Buffini’s Chief Ambassador Ethan Beute hosts the show. Each week, he interviews a leader who is helping agents succeed. They talk through what is working and how stronger agents build a stronger business.
The show is built on a leadership model that puts agent productivity at the center. Culture, mentoring, and training feed it. Recruiting, retention, and profitability come out of it. Most leaders treat those three outcomes as separate problems. They are connected, and productivity moves all three. Every episode maps back to that model.
“Most leaders I talk to are fighting recruiting, retention, and profit as three separate battles. The leaders who are winning treat them as one problem. They invest in their agents first, and recruiting and retention get easier. This show is where they share their systems, strategies, stories, struggles, and successes,” said Ethan Beute, Chief Ambassador at Buffini.
“Too many leaders are stuck managing when their agents need them to lead, said Brian Buffini, Chairman and Founder of Buffini. “Leading means building a culture people want to be part of, mentoring them, and training them to get better every year. Do that, and your agents get more productive. Recruiting gets easier, your best people stay, and the business gets more profitable. That’s what an agent-first CEO does.”
Who the show is for
- Brokerage owners who want a healthy, profitable business with agents who perform consistently, and more time leading instead of reacting.
- Team leaders who want a productive team, clear expectations, and agents who keep developing without coaching every deal themselves.
- Emerging leaders and operations staff moving from doing the work to leading other people.
- Buffini Leadership Coaching™ Members who want another way to stay in the leadership conversation they are already part of.
What listeners get
- A new guest every week. Ethan interviews a team leader or brokerage owner. Some episodes feature a leadership expert or a panel of Buffini coaches.
- Every major platform. New episodes are published weekly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
- A writeup with every episode. Each episode gets a page on buffini.com with key takeaways and a full transcript, so you can skim before you listen.
About the host
Ethan Beute is chief ambassador at Buffini. He has hosted more than 500 podcast episodes, including a show built specifically for team leaders. The Wall Street Journal bestselling co-author of “Rehumanize Your Business” and “Human-Centered Communication,” Ethan has served real estate professionals for more than 15 years at BombBomb, Follow Up Boss, and Zillow.
Availability
The Agent-First CEO is available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Watch the trailer and find every episode at buffini.com/agentfirst. New episodes are released every Wednesday.
The podcast and the training program
The Agent-First CEO podcast is free and open to anyone. It is separate from Brian Buffini’s six-module Agent-First CEO training program, which is available exclusively to Leadership Coaching Members. Members also get a monthly Leadership Three-On-One video featuring Ethan, Leadership Coaching Members, and Buffini leadership coaches. The podcast brings the agent-first philosophy to life through real conversations. The training program gives Members a structured system to apply it in their own business.
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About Buffini
Buffini is North America’s leading coaching company for real estate agents, brokers, and team leaders. Founded by master motivator Brian Buffini, the company blends personalized, one-on-one human coaching with the on-demand power of Ask Buffini, an AI-driven coaching platform built on decades of proven referral strategies. By combining high-touch coaching with high-tech innovation, Buffini has empowered over 4 million professionals across 47 countries to build sustainable businesses, boost net profit, and enhance their quality of life. To learn more, visit buffini.com.
Media Contact:
Jeanette Perez
Buffini Chief of Staff
Tel: (760) 827-2101 x2442
Email: Jeanettep@buffini.com