Beginner 30 yr old female CRE Agent with no connections
Am I crazy? I don't personally know any one in CRE.I don't know investors or developers,  I berly know anyone that could qualify for an FHA loan. I just passed my state exam and have had an interest in developing multi-family residential properties since 2018. I've been a hermit because of my previous relationship but that wasn't my choice. I want to be my best self, see what  I'm capable of accomplishing in my life. I'm just nit sure if I'm in over my head?

How do you investors/developers see female CRE agents?

How can I make sure I'm taken seriously.

I am one class away from my degree and plan on joining a CRE Brokerage this week part time. I have a 6 month buffer of savings until I can build clientele and build a reputation . 

What advice would you give to a NEW CRE Agent?
What else should I consider before completing the sign on agreement?

TIA 😊
[{"id": "igkirs8", "text": "I\u2019m a female, your age too. Who are you planning to go with and what position starting out? The most important thing in my opinion is finding a really good hands on mentor. You aren\u2019t going to know out of the gate how to talk to your prospective clients and you\u2019ll need someone to coach you on those conversations, on prospecting, and actually putting a deal together. Also, 6 months of savings isn\u2019t enough. I mean if you luck out maybe, but in most cases not. You need more savings or to keep whatever current income you have starting out (I\u2019d say a couple of years worth honestly\u2026 because even if you are running full speed and get a deal in 6 months, deals fall through sometimes). You\u2019ll be spending on marketing and advertising too. Check if you\u2019ll at least get a draw or something if this is going to be your only job. Money aside, the most important thing is finding someone who will teach you. Shadow them, ask questions, co-broker deals with more experienced agents. \n\nFor your question about how investors see females\u2014 in my experience I don\u2019t think they see you any differently for being a female. What they will see is your lack of knowledge and experience if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about when you call them up, so again the mentorship is important. If you\u2019re knowledgeable and adding value you\u2019ll be taken seriously.", "replies": [{"id": "igkqq69", "text": "MGR because they work with commercial residential and property management.\nHow long have you been in this field and how did you u get started?\nI am hoping to team up with one of the more experienced agents there.", "replies": [{"id": "ih0nvc3", "text": "Going with a residential brokerage trying to break into commercial will definitely make it more difficult to be taken seriously in the commercial world. I would reconsider and look at some purely commercial shops.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "iglfgyq", "text": "Might be in over your head. Female CRE agent and the industry is tough. What do you know about CRE and development besides your licensing courses? If no connections, may take you a good long while before you are doing development work.\n\n-I am in this exact space.", "replies": [{"id": "igmn9a2", "text": "Thank you for your input.\n \nI've got no hands on experience, I really dont know much besides my courses.\n \n\nI have been in sales before, most recently life insurance.  Definitely not the same but similar structure. \n\nA Commercial lease could get me a 10k paycheck at this point in my life, that would cover about 5 months of living expenses and some change. \nNow I'm asking myself could I at least one contact in 5 months???? \nI think I can. \n\nIf the end of the year comes and I can't welllllll, I'll be done with school so I'll be able to work twice as hard in the new year. \n\nI'm at war with myself. I'm hyping myself up to submit Association dues today.  \n\n\nMaybe I'll update later and let the thread know how it goes. \nTake care everyone.", "replies": [{"id": "ign0ij6", "text": "Don't start anything if you're at war with yourself. This is a job you pursue when you see clearly what you're willing to put into it to get out what you want. You also have to clearly see how you can make money for yourself and not just seeing the payout at the end of one deal. Everyone elses comments about mentorship is the best way to achieve that.  \n\nI find this industry more than most is harder to find a good mentor interested in helping you when its one that mostly tries to help themself. I fortunately have a close friend who does commercial development that is a mentor of mine. All brokers I've worked under have just wanted to add to their stable to make more money and be hands off. That broker will never help you get anywhere.", "replies": [{"id": "ignsjzl", "text": "Yes. This industry is definitely harder to find a mentor in. It\u2019s like pulling teeth as people are inherently trying to win their own business, not build yours. But if you are going to do CRE, and you have no experience in the world of CRE, you are going to need every bit of expertise you can find.\n\nAfter all, selling property is not like other sales. These transactions are much larger and carry more liability with them. You can find yourself in deep water very quickly if you take on a client and cannot handle them properly. The words \u201ctreble damages\u201d in Texas make me think twice about how experienced I am when doing something new.\n\nOP, if you want to do development, you need hands on experience. Commercial leases won\u2019t necessarily teach you about development site selection and the development cycle for MF. Start networking and befriending people in adjacent professions. You may need the advice of an architect, an engineer, a contractor, a lender, a city planner on any given project while you are green. Knowing your city/town is also very important. Plan to attend council meetings and keep up with upcoming projects. You should be reviewing current events locally and beyond to foresee where the market will go for development since the timeline is longer. Find some veterans. I\u2019m talking the 20+ year brokers. They\u2019ll likely be affiliated with your board and show up to events. Ask for their insights and where to get trained.\n\nYour licensing courses do absolutely nothing for a lot of commercial work. It\u2019s like learning your abcs. You should plan to pursue more education specific to commercial to succeed.\n\nAnother option to get into MF development is to go work directly for a developer as an analyst, PM, etc. CRE is a big industry and brokerage is just one way to get into it. If you plan on putting up your own projects, working for a developer may be a faster and safer route. Like I said, you need hands on experience. Plus, working for a developer is typically a salaried role.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "igmn6a9", "text": "Everyone who is joining the brokerage profession should first seek a salaried position. You can search positions such as transaction, research or marketing coordinator working for a more experienced agent. That will allow you to build your market knowledge and understand how deals are structured in real life. As others said, 6 months worth of savings is not enough if you are going 100% commission. Deals can take up to a year to close, and in the beginning of your career many will fall though.\nThis is a hard profession with a steep learning curve. Don't get discouraged, but do things right and you will be grateful in two or three years.\n\nEdit for spelling/grammar.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ii3lajm", "text": "So I decided to wait. At this point joining is a liability,  (have you seen the market)\nI have been applying for a salaried position in my area in the field. \nI have also started reaching out to people to start networking ND putting myself out there.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]