It was a cup of coffee that would forever change Jessica Sigmund’s career.

Back then, in the late days of 2018, Jessica was in a rut. When she started her real estate career, three years earlier, Jessica remembers telling herself: “‘I’m not going to mess this up. I’m going to become successful. And I’m going to put all of my passion and heart into this.’”

But things had changed in Jessica’s life. “I was getting to the point where I wasn’t really loving where I was at,” she confides. She had been looking to change brokerages and had her eye on Compass. “I was following Chirag on social media. And he really loved Compass, loved the brand, and was selling this amazing journey.”

Chirag, who was then the Director of Coaching & Training at Compass, had a passion for real estate that was contagious—even over Instagram. Jessica felt inspired by his energy. She wanted to feel that same enthusiasm for her job. She decided to send Chirag a DM, and the two agreed to grab that fateful cup of coffee, and discuss her career options.

It was a revelatory meeting for Jessica. Walking away from the coffee shop that day, she felt reinvigorated, refreshed, and fully ready to throw herself back into her work—this time as a Compass agent.

From there on out Jessica did what she does best—absorbed: “I try to learn from everyone and soak up as much as I can,” she says. “I truly think that there is so much value in just being a sponge.”

Part of Jessica’s talent for taking in and being inspired by her surroundings goes back to a childhood spent in Greenwich, Connecticut, driving along the town’s idyllic North Street, soaking in the beauty of the gorgeous mega-mansions flanking both sides of the roadway.

That inspiration is what led her to real estate in the first place.

She’s also fundamentally a people-person. She cares about others, she’s passionate about collaboration, she’s receptive to new ideas, and she’s always willing to learn—making her the ideal candidate for coaching and perfectly suited to the collaborative culture of Compass.

“Compass enables people to be the most entrepreneurial they can be and gives everyone the tools they need to blossom.” Jessica realized that Compass’s culture is exactly how the brokerage attracts the industry’s best and brightest.

“I looked around and I saw the agents that I wanted to be like, and I just listened to everything that they did and put in as many hours as I could learning from them and taking from them the stuff that I liked and that worked for me.”

It’s Jessica’s dedication to her work, her commitment to excellence, her tenacity, brains, and, yes, sponge-like ability to learn from those she admires, that makes her such a successful agent.

A year after joining Compass and working with her coach Chirag, Jessica’s passion had returned and she had grown her business by 300%. “I’ve gone from doing $15M a year to $40M a year,” she says. “It’s been crazy.” Turns out being a sponge—or to put it in Compass terms, “Collaborating Without Ego”—pays off.

It’s not just wisdom from her coaches and colleagues that Jessica soaks in. Along the way, Jessica’s become much better at listening to her clients, really absorbing what they say, and responding to their needs.

“I was on a coaching call the other day with Chirag and David, and they were talking about how the power is in listening. As agents, we don’t always have to have the right answers. We don’t always have to have everything figured out. A lot of times, people are just looking to be heard. They want someone to listen and to hear their needs.”

Perhaps it’s because she’s such a great listener that Jessica has become so popular with her clients and has made such a lasting impression on them.

She still keeps in touch with past clients to this day, and continues to receive cards, greetings, and well wishes from the people whose lives she’s improved through her work.

“There’s another level to real estate besides the beautiful homes, and the first-time buyers, and the just solds, and all that stuff. As an agent, I am a part of people’s lives. I’m helping them through this real estate journey. I’m making sure they’re protected, and supported, and in the best position financially. That’s why I do what I do.”