Catherine Kaufer, real estate agent, developer, life coach and founder of animal therapy organisation, powered up her own potential to help others.

Entering the arena is an overwhelming prospect. There can be myriad internal obstacles to overcome before you have the confidence to present yourself to the world. For Catherine Kaufer, real estate extraordinaire, life coach and founder of Mini & Me Ministries, it was vital to release old narratives about herself before stepping into her true potential.

With straight A’s at college, Kaufer discovered her academic intelligence, having never been encouraged in that area due to a dyslexia diagnosis. The dyslexia faded but the determination remained. Kaufer qualified as a broker and went into residential real estate. Her in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience of construction soon established her as the go-to broker in northern California for honesty and an amazing customer experience.

Buying and/or selling houses is considered one of the most stressful events in life, following closely after bereavement and divorce. Kaufer facilitates the process with great care and attention, ensuring the client has no surprises from beginning to end. Whether buying or selling, she lends her construction expertise and budget knowledge to remove the shock of something unexpected in the home inspection.

Having moved to Reno, Kaufer is now assisting people find their dream home in Nevada too. There is a certain stereotype of a realtor being overly pushy and brash. Kaufer could not be further from this picture. In fact, she often does not trumpet what she does, preferring people to get to know her first. Her warmth and positivity belie a character of deep authenticity and grit.

Patience and tenacity are key strengths of Kaufer’s. She will work with clients as long as they need, rather than persuading them into a house that isn’t quite right. Choosing compassion over commission, the most rewarding part for her is helping people. Whether that’s through selling the house contents when the owner has gone into a care home, or finding the exact specification required by her client, Kaufer is passionate about making people’s lives better and easier.

This quality is expressed through her work as a life coach. Keeping clients calm during a stressful situation is an important part of real estate work, so life coaching felt like a natural extension of these skills. Letting the client take the lead in terms of goal-setting for their work together, Kaufer can also offer the presence of her therapy animals. Miniature horse Zebe and miniature Australian Shepherd Theo have helped countless people feel happiness and hope.

Hope was in short supply during lockdown so Kaufer decided to assist her local community in any way she could. Leading Zebe and Theo around her area, greeting people at their windows, she was able to distribute smiles across town. When restrictions loosened slightly, people queued on both sides of the street to meet and pet the animals in their turn. Trained in empathy and comfort, Zebe and Theo spread joy to Kaufer’s neighbourhood and continue to do so via Mini & Me Ministries.

This ministry is a heartfelt manifestation of Kaufer’s inborn desire to help people. Taking the first step into realising her potential led to a snowball effect of immense power that allows her to live out her values. Faith is a key piece of the puzzle for Kaufer. Believing in God and trusting in her path and purpose is a foundation of her being. Helping others find their purpose and happiness is a purpose all its own.

By valuing relationships and friendships over profit, Kaufer measures success in terms of connection rather than financial compensation. Acting from this motivation means that animal-assisted intervention, life coaching and real estate all dovetail and complement one another. Lockdown emphasised the importance of surrounding herself with people as that feeds her energy and soul.

Taking deep personal pain into the public space can be daunting, but that is what Kaufer does in her process of coaching clients through loss. Having suffered the devastating sudden death of her beloved husband in a bicycle accident, Kaufer has lived through the oft-quoted stages of grief and can guide others through the maelstrom of shock, fury, regret and identity crisis.

Humans are never just one thing. We are multifaceted complex creatures, rife with contradictions and clutter. By trusting her own path, Kaufer has moved from darkness to light and is working to help others do the same. Despite being a realtor, Kaufer invests in people, not buildings.

To contact Catherine Kaufer for any realty needs, you can visit her website.

Katie Back

katie@mindfulagency.com