Dr. Kevin Shufford is a PhD-level Communication scholar, a full-time college professor, and a licensed real estate agent and mortgage loan officer serving Arizona and California. He brings something most agents can’t offer: years of advanced training in how people communicate, build trust, navigate conflict, and make high-stakes decisions together — applied to one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make.
With dual licensure in Arizona and California, a background in negotiation, conflict resolution, and relational communication — and a genuine passion for guiding people through major life decisions — Kevin combines the analytical rigor of a scholar with the warmth and commitment of a trusted advisor. Whether you’re buying your first home, selling an investment property, or navigating a cross-state move, you deserve someone who can handle both the paperwork and the people side of the process.
In My Own Words
I teach communication for a living, and that’s the reason I work the way I do.
My job isn’t to steer you. It’s to put the information in front of you, make sure it actually makes sense, and let the decision be yours. You’re in the driver’s seat on every one of these. I’m the person next to you who has read the map, knows the road, and will say something when the turn you want to make is going to cost you.
That means telling you things you don’t always want to hear. Sometimes it’s great news and I get to be the one who calls. Sometimes it’s tempering an expectation before it turns into a problem. Most of the time it’s just translating, because this business runs on jargon and forms, and almost none of it was written to be easily understood by the person who has to sign it.
I carry both licenses, agent and loan originator, because I wanted to understand the whole process instead of half of it. When a question lands on the financing side, you’re not waiting on me to relay an answer from somebody else’s email. I know what the underwriter is going to ask, and I can usually find the solution faster because nothing gets handed off. I chose Arizona because I’ve lived here since 2017, and California because I grew up there and still have roots across Southern California. Both are home.
Teaching is the passion underneath all of it. Communication is how we connect, and it’s how we build the realities we end up living in. Writing the offer, negotiating the contract, reading the inspection, getting the loan through, sitting down at the closing table: every one of those becomes possible, and a whole lot smoother, when the communication is clear and the expectations are honest from the start.
What my background gives you is somebody in your corner who knows what clear, cooperative communication actually looks and sounds like, and who holds the whole process to that standard.
That belief is where The Syllabus came from. It is my whole process written down: 7 steps, 3 of them set at the first meeting and 4 that repeat at every decision, plus what I keep doing after you have the keys.
How to Choose a Real Estate Agent — and the Questions to Ask
Not all agents bring the same skills to a transaction. Here are the questions every buyer and seller should ask before committing to an agent — and what good answers look like.
Are you licensed in this state?
Dual-licensed agents are rare. For a California-to-Arizona move or any cross-state transaction, one agent who knows both markets saves time and confusion at every step.
How do you price a home?
Good agents price from real comparable sales. Automated tools often miss custom finishes, lot premiums, and condition — especially in luxury markets. Ask to see their comps methodology.
Can you also handle the mortgage?
Having a licensed loan originator as your agent keeps negotiations and financing on the same timeline — especially critical for move-up buyers, luxury purchases, and out-of-state relocations. Is that a conflict of interest? Here is the honest answer.
What is your negotiation background?
Dr. Kevin Shufford holds a Ph.D. in Communication and has taught negotiation, conflict resolution, and relational communication for over a decade. Every real estate transaction is a communication challenge.
The Team Behind Your Move
Kevin works as part of The Reach Home Group at Real Broker — led by Matt Kochis, a Real Elite Agent who serves as co-agent on Kevin’s transactions.
150+
team transactions closed since 2023
$70M+
in team sales volume since 2023
$492K
average sale price, rising to $613K in 2025
Top 50
Real Broker Large Teams by Volume, Q2 2026 ($16.8M in the quarter)
You get two things at once: the collective playbook of a high-volume Phoenix-metro team — and Kevin’s own edge as a PhD-level communication scholar, active professor, and dual-licensed real estate agent and mortgage loan originator across Arizona and California.
Production figures reflect closed transactions of The Reach Home Group from 2023–2025 and represent combined team performance, not individual production.
The Educator Behind the Agent
Kevin earned his PhD in Human Communication from Arizona State University, where his research focused on how technology shapes modern relationships — from smartphones and social media to dating apps and digital communication patterns. His academic work lives at the intersection of interpersonal relationships, trust, and how people communicate under pressure: the same skills that drive great real estate outcomes.
In the classroom, Kevin has taught Relational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Communication, Conflict & Negotiation, Nonverbal Communication, Small Group Communication, Introduction to Communication Studies, Public Speaking, Organizational Communication, and Health Communication at universities and colleges across Arizona and California. He has spent over a decade studying and teaching how people build rapport, read between the lines, and reach agreements under stress — skills that translate directly to every showing, offer, and negotiation he guides clients through.
His doctoral dissertation investigated how personal trainers build trust and influence their clients’ lives beyond the gym — a study in what it means to be a true guide in someone’s corner during a high-stakes process. That’s the role he brings to every real estate transaction. When you work with Kevin, you’re not just getting a licensed agent — you’re getting someone who has spent years studying the art and science of how people make decisions, resolve conflict, and move forward together.
Two Licenses. Both Markets.
Kevin grew up in Murrieta, California, attended San Diego State University for his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and relocated to Arizona in 2017 to pursue his doctorate at ASU. He has lived in the Phoenix metro ever since — and he knows both markets from personal experience, not just data. He has watched Phoenix grow into one of the most dynamic housing markets in the country and understands Southern California’s complex mix of coastal, inland, and suburban submarkets from the inside out.
Whether you’re moving from California to Arizona, from Arizona to California, relocating from Michigan, Alabama, or anywhere else — or simply buying, selling, or refinancing where you already live — Kevin is licensed and active in both states and can work both sides of your transaction. He holds an active Arizona real estate license (SA702010000), an active California real estate license (02238213), and a Mortgage Loan Originator designation in both states through One Real Mortgage.
He understands the lifestyle shift, the budget math, and what out-of-state buyers are really looking for when they land in the Phoenix metro or Southern California. His goal: meet you where you are, understand your situation, and guide you through a process that’s clear and honest — wherever that journey begins.
Why Real Estate
Kevin is still teaching full-time at Glendale Community College, where he genuinely loves helping students grow in confidence and communication. Real estate is a natural extension of that mission — because at its core, every transaction is a communication challenge: understanding what someone really wants, navigating competing interests, and building enough trust that your client can make a clear-headed decision under pressure.
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions a person will ever make — and Kevin believes everyone deserves an agent who is not just transactionally skilled, but relationally equipped to guide them through it. He brings the same patience, clarity, and genuine investment in your outcome to every client he works with. No scripts, no pressure — just honest guidance from someone who studies how people make good decisions for a living.
His goal is simple: help you make a confident, informed decision at every step of the process.
Credentials & Licenses
🎓 Education
- PhD, Human Communication
Arizona State University, 2021 - MA, Communication
San Diego State University, 2016 - BA, Communication
San Diego State University, 2013
Summa Cum Laude
🏫 Teaching
Institutions: Glendale Community College (current); Arizona State University; Chandler–Gilbert Community College; San Diego State University
Courses Taught:
- Introduction to Communication Studies
- Public Speaking
- Interpersonal Communication
- Relational Communication
- Nonverbal Communication
- Communication, Conflict & Negotiation
- Small Group Communication
- Organizational Communication
- Health Communication
🏠 Real Estate & Lending
- Licensed Real Estate Agent — Arizona
License SA702010000 · Active · Expires 03/31/2028 - Licensed Real Estate Agent — California
License 02238213 · Active · Expires 05/23/2028 - Mortgage Loan Originator — AZ & CA (2024)
One Real Mortgage - Brokerage: Real Broker LLC
AZ License LC696641023 · CA License 02022092 - MLS: ARMLS (Arizona) · SDMLS (California)
- Boards: Phoenix Realtors (PR) · SDAR (CA)
- NRDS #: 144044006
🏋 Other Certifications
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
A Little About Kevin
Outside of the classroom and the closing table, Kevin is an avid traveler — he’s visited about 22 countries and 16 states, with a new destination added every year. He loves the planning as much as the trip itself: researching neighborhoods, understanding local culture, and figuring out where the locals actually eat. Travel recommendations are always welcome.
He’s also a NASM-certified personal trainer who takes fitness seriously — and his doctoral research on the trainer–client relationship gives him a unique appreciation for what it means to truly guide someone toward a goal, not just hand them a plan. That same philosophy carries into how he approaches each real estate client: it’s not about closing a deal, it’s about understanding where you want to go and helping you get there.
His proudest housemate is Lily — a 50% pitbull, 20% Chihuahua/Husky/Pinscher/Poodle, 12% Chow Chow, 11% Shih Tzu, and 7% German Shepherd — who is, in his words, “a ball of energy and a really big cuddler.”
Ready to work together? Reach out here — Kevin would love to hear about your goals.