The Person Behind the Mission
Toni Schafer is a Realtor, educator, and advocate who believes the Deaf community deserves full access to real estate opportunity.
From the Field to the Classroom
Toni Schafer did not set out to build an education company. She was a working Realtor who kept running into the same problem: Deaf clients had almost no access to agents who could communicate with them directly, and Deaf individuals who wanted to become agents faced barriers at every step.
So she started teaching. First informally, helping Deaf friends navigate the homebuying process, then mentoring new agents who wanted to do better. Over time, that grassroots effort grew into TCS Real Estate International.
Today, Toni teaches courses and webinars in ASL, trains hearing agents to earn their Deaf Friendly Certification, and is actively walking Deaf students through the process of getting licensed and building their own real estate businesses.
Access Is Not Optional
TCS Real Estate International exists because the real estate industry was not built with the Deaf community in mind. Most education platforms, training materials, and industry events assume everyone can hear, and that leaves millions of people behind.
We are here to change that. Every course we build, every webinar we host, and every resource we create is designed to be accessible from the start. If it is not taught directly in ASL, it has a live interpreter. All video content is captioned. All materials are designed with clarity and access at the center.
Our goal is not just to train agents. It is to build a generation of ASL-fluent Realtors so the Deaf community can thrive when entering the world of real estate, as buyers, sellers, and professionals.
What Guides Everything We Do
Calm Authority
We speak with confidence rooted in experience. Never loud, never performative, just clear, grounded expertise you can trust.
Ethical Confidence
We advocate for transparency without accusation. We lead change without ego. We hold ourselves to the same standards we teach.
Reform-Minded Action
We do not just talk about what the industry should be. We build the alternative: accessible education, ethical business, genuine inclusion.