Real estate agents should never stop learning. In a business that can change by the minute, it’s essential for agents to stay current on the market, consumer trends, changes in buyer and seller behavior, and new ways to build meaningful relationships with your clients.
A significant part of our culture at C21® focuses on learning and development. Our agents strive to provide the best experiences for their clients so we provide the best books, podcasts, coaches and resources for real estate agents to help them do it. Continuous learning and coaching is an essential part of building a successful real estate business.
We know how much our agents benefit from these resources so we want to share them with other agents so they can start learning more as well. We hope you find them beneficial as well.
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- The 17 essential books for real estate agents
- The top five podcasts for real estate agents
- The best four coaches for real estate agents
- The three most helpful resources for real estate agents
The 17 Essential Books for Real Estate Agents
There are a lot of real estate books out there that promise to teach you everything you need to know about the industry. But we’ve found that the books that really help agents build successful businesses and get the most out of their careers are the ones that go beyond real estate. These are our favorite books about business, entrepreneurship, productivity, leadership and finance.
by Greg McKeown
An Essentialist doesn’t get more done in less time, they just get the right things done. This book will outline a systematic discipline for prioritizing the essentials and eliminating everything else. You’ll take control of your choices and time and become more organized in what you choose to work on.

by Mel Robbins
Learn how to push yourself, rather than relying on coaches or teachers, using Robbins’ five-second rule to become confident, break your procrastination habit, and beat fear and uncertainty. The secret isn’t knowing what to do- it’s knowing how to make yourself do it.

by Jack Canfield
Get to where you want to be, increase your confidence, tackle challenges and live with passion and purpose with these 64 principles of success. Told through inspiring stories from CEOs, world-class athletes, celebrities and everyday people, these principles will change your life.

How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
This time-tested advice will teach you the six ways to make people like you, the 12 ways to win people over to your way of thinking, the nine ways to change people without inciting resentment and more. Maximize your potential and achieve success with this timeless bestseller.

by Dan Sullivan
Achieve your goals and push for success with the 4 C’s: commitment, courage, capability and confidence. Create 10 times the number of breakthroughs and avoid complacency so you can take your business and life to the next level.
For additional reading, we also recommend these books:
- The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
- Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
- The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
The Top 5 Podcasts for Real Estate Agents
For the agent who is always on the go, podcasts are a great way to learn more about business and real estate. These five podcasts are hosted by some of the biggest names in real estate: successful agents, coaches and entrepreneurs who interview prominent leaders, experts and innovators in a variety of fields. It’s easy to listen to these in the car on the way to your next client appointment or while catching up on your paperwork.

Join the C21SRE team as we discuss building meaningful and impactful businesses, careers, and lives through real estate. Listen to weekly insights from top agents, business building tactics and marketing updates.

The Tom Ferry Podcast Experience
Top-ranked business and real estate coach Tom Ferry’s podcast experience will provide you with the knowledge, support, motivation and tools you need to succeed in business and achieve your true potential. New content is released four times a week.

Hosted by entrepreneur, speaker, real estate coach and author Jared James, you’ll get his thoughts on current events, keynote talks and interviews with influential guests. Get key insight into the challenges and triumphs of running a multi-million dollar business.

It’s a Good Life by Brian Buffini
Explore the mindsets, motivation and methodologies behind true success with acclaimed real estate coach, Brain Buffini. New episodes are released twice a week.

Did you know CENTURY 21® has its own podcast? Dr. Julie Gurner hosts and interviews trailblazers and thought leaders to learn more about embracing change, overcoming hurdles and how innovative leaders stay relentless.
The 4 Best Coaches for Real Estate Agents
If you’ve read the books and listened to the podcasts and you want to keep pushing to take your business to the next level, consider investing in a real estate coach. There are thousands of coaches available to you, but these four have proven time and time again to be the most effective for our agents. You can choose a simple coaching plan with a monthly call and access to digital resources or invest in a personal coach with weekly calls and attend annual events and seminars across the country. It’s all up to you!

Buffini & Company
The Buffini philosophy is about building relationships to capture the repeat and referral potential of an agent’s sphere of influence and past client base. They create a system for agents to follow that includes providing marketing and support materials so agents can focus on taking action rather than getting bogged down. Buffini & Co. also offers:
- One-on-one and team coaching
- Group coaching
- Marketing kit with flyers
- Subscription to the Referral-Maker CRM
- Access to events and seminars, including an annual summit
Pricing ranges from $264-$1,249/month depending on the coaching package you select. You can find more information on buffiniandcompany.com.

Tom Ferry
The Ferry coaching philosophy helps agents build their real estate business with innovation and marketing. Ferry stresses the importance of staying relevant to consumers through marketing, multiple lead generation systems, and constant innovation. Tom Ferry programs also offer:
- One-on-one and team coaching
- Access to events and seminars
- Member resource library
- Group training calls
- Private Facebook groups
Pricing ranges from $749-$1,299/month depending on the plan you select. You can find more information on tomferry.com.

Jared James
The Jared James coaching philosophy is all about taking tried-and-true real estate principles and adapting them for the here and now. His system works with you to develop and cultivate relationships with clients. The Jared James coaching program offers:
- One-on-one and team leader coaching
- Group coaching
- Virtual coaching
- Access to events and seminars
Pricing ranges from $499-$999/month depending on the level you select. You can find more information on jaredjamestoday.com.

Mike Ferry
The Mike Ferry coaching program focuses more on general sales skills than any particular technology. Their systems will train you on sales calls, prospecting, business planning, time management and how to hire an assistant. It may not be as glamorous as other coaching programs but will resonate with agents who want to create a high-producing business. Services include:
- One-on-one and team coaching
- Coaching sales kit
- Online training materials
- Group coaching
- Access to events and seminars, including an annual retreat
Pricing ranges from $250-$1,250 depending on the plan you choose. For more information, go to mikeferry.com.
The 3 Most Helpful Resources for Real Estate Agents
It’s all about the data! Where do you get your essential real estate news? It’s easy to fall behind when you’re busy with clients. These three resources provide easy-to-consume information that will help you stay on top of market trends.

National Association of REALTORS® (NAR®)
As a REALTOR®, you are already a member of NAR® and have access to their extensive research and statistics library. NAR® provides expertly conducted and well-designed reports on the housing market, consumer trends, commercial statistics, and metro-specific data. Their most popular reports are the annual homebuyer and seller reports which break down consumer activity and demographics. Some reports are free to download from the NAR® site and some are paid, but as a member, you will receive a reduced rate.

Keeping Current Matters provides monthly market reports along with easy-to-read blog posts breaking down current market trends and statistics. Some KCM resources are free to use and agents can download pre-made social media graphics directly from the site. The monthly membership ($24.95/month for an individual) grants you access to the seasonal buyer and seller guides, the monthly market report and assets, educational webinars and a private Facebook group.

Inman is a real estate news source that provides a mix of market updates, data and statistics, consumer trends and practical advice for both agents and consumers. You can sign up for the newsletter and listen to the Inman podcast, Daily Dispatch. Inman also facilitates Facebook groups for agents, brokers and vendors so you can connect to other professionals across the country. A subscription costs less than $4 a day and grants you access to all articles and resources.
The real estate market is constantly changing and sometimes it may seem like a full-time job just keeping with housing trends and consumer behavior. The good news is there are many resources for real estate agents available in the form of books (or audiobooks if you prefer), podcasts, coaches, data reports and news outlets. At C21®, we believe agents should never stop learning which is why we provide all of these educational resources to our team. If the idea of a culture of learning resonates with you, feel free to reach out.