I am considering working in Commerical Real Estate. What do should I read? What advise do you have?
Hi everyone!

I am looking for some advice about getting into the industry.

- What should books should I read?
- Where is a good place to start? I want to work in commercial not residential. 
- Any general advice? 
- What else can I do besides what I wrote below? How can I do it better?


**Here is a little bit of background about me.** 

- I'm a recent college graduate. 
- I ran a successful startup which I recently sold my equity of.
- I was a damn good salesman at my last job. I made about 20  sales for my startup, where I had an unproven product and a company without a reputation.  We made a great product so everyone ended up coming back to us and referring us. 

- I am really driven, persistent and ambitious, so real estate seems like a good fit for me.

- I am cool with potentially making very little or no money for a year or two as I learn and get better at the job. 

**What I am doing:**

- I signed up for the spring semester at my local community college to learn about the field

- I bought these books:
  - How To Become a Power Agent in Real Estate : A Top Industry Trainer Explains How to Double Your Income in 12 Months Hardcover 
by Darryl Davis 

  - The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It's Not About the Money...It's About Being the Best You Can Be! by Gary Keller

-Networking with people I know who are successful in the industry. 

- Looking for advice where ever I can get it. 

Thank you all for your help




[{"id": "cn2nz1y", "text": "On mobile, so won't link.  For an overall picture I always recommend the Real Estate Game", "replies": [{"id": "cn2wxpx", "text": "Definitely read The Real Estate Game as suggested by Buster. Books like Gary Keller's only tell you things like \"focus on listings, build your database, and contact your sphere of influence once every 3 months.\" \n\nThe Real Estate Game actually tells you how decisions are made in CRE and all the parts that have to come together for a deal to be made.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cn30nnb", "text": "Where are you located? Office, indusrtial, multi-family? \n\nNot knowing anything about you, I would suggest starting at Marcus and Millichap. \n\nThey have a fairly good crash course for someone who wants to be in SALES. \n\nI would recommend having about 40K in the bank before doing this, as it will be 6-9 months before you see any money. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cn310rg", "text": "I am assuming you want sales? Then M&amp;M. If you aren't sure check out CBRE. They have a sales division too. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cn38coh", "text": "Never stop reading.  I start each morning by looking at economic indicators and usually reading when not on the phone or with clients.  Commercial real estate follows (retail) or houses jobs (office, industrial).  \n\nTo get you started, here is one of my favorite books and should get you started.  http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Real-Estate-Entrepreneur-High-Stakes/dp/0071467939\n\nHe skips a few basics in the beginning, but if you earned an undergraduate degree, you should be fine.\n\nGood luck.  And remember (if you're going into sales), sell the solution to their problems and not the property.  Above all, don't look at your commission until the deal is over.  Do a good job for your clients or clients-to-be.  It'll pay more in the long run than a $500 commission in the short term.\n\nDon't be afraid of cold calls.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cn3lh4f", "text": "Hey man/lady - I'm in a similar situation to you at the moment, so feel free to PM me. Me: \n\n* recent grad, top east coast liberal arts college (May)\n\n* small startup sales xp\n\n* driven, ambitious, cash-motivated \n\n* pursuing only commercial real estate\n\n\n**1.** You should definitely read up about the industry. You don't need to take any classes to get your foot in the door, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to bring up in an interview. Do overviews of [therealdeal](http://therealdeal.com), [globest](http://www.globest.com), and [commercialobserver](http://www.commercialobserver.com) - all great CRE websites. Also, you might find some helpful info [here](http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/tag/commercial-real-estate-0)\n\n\n**2.** OP - GET YOUR LICENSE. \n\n\n**3.** The MOST important thing you can do is set up informational interviews with people in the industry. It sounds like you want to be a broker, and 9.5 times out of ten, you're going to get a position at a brokerage because of your personal connections rather than an application you submitted online. You're already networking, which is good. This should be your main area of focus. \n\n*Really* Find everyone and anyone you know in CRE, or anyone you know who could introduce to someone they know in CRE: family friends, work associates, acquaintances, parents of friends, college alumni. Scour the fucking rolodex. \n\n\n\n**4.** Think about this preliminary stage of learning about the industry as a dress rehearsal for when you get into the business yourself. Right now the product you're marketing is you. Informational interviews may feel informal, but believe me, if you present yourself well, ask the right questions, and seem genuinely interested, it's likely that you can get a referral to someone who makes hiring decisions or someone else who might be able to provide helpful insight, who might then be able to refer you to a hiring manager. Treat these as formal interviews. \n\n\n**5.** Be clear on modes of career entry. As a broker, you generally start in one of three ways: as an analyst, a broker's runner (basically their mentee/ bitch), or as a junior associate not tied to any team. You want to start as an analyst or a runner so you can learn the business without being tossed in to fend for yourself.  \n\n\n\n**reaching out to people**\n\n* people in this industry are busy. Even if you've been referred to them, they might not answer or reply on your first try. Stay the course. Some people I've spoken with will make a point to not even respond until you've reached out six times. \n\n* Flattery: don't be too overt about it, but something like \"I want to be a top producer in this industry, and I need to learn from the best. That's why I'm calling you\" works nicely. Make sure there is some basis for you saying they're the best (i.e. they're a top producer, EVP, Director, up-and-coming associate, etc. etc.) or else you'll come off as insincere. \n\n* Invite people out to lunch. This will give you a HUGE leg up, increase your chances of \"lead conversion\". Brokers usually eat at their desks or meet with clients, so this will likely be both unexpected and welcomed, especially from someone who is asking them for nothing but insight.\n\n\n\n**interviews (informational and otherwise)**\n\n* Dress to the nines. Suit, tie, polished shoes (or whatever the female equivalent is)\n\n* Bring a portfolio with extra printed resumes. Take notes\n\n* Hand a resume to everyone you interview with\n\n* The more you get the person to talk about themselves, the more they'll like you. Don't ramble, for fuck's sake.\n\n* If you take someone out to lunch or meet in an informal setting, shoot the shit and find common ground with them. Start building a relationship that can be advantageous to you. Spend the last 20 min on business. \n\n* At the end, ask for referrals. \"Your insight has been extremely helpful - thank you. Let me know if I'm being too forward, but I'm trying to talk to as many people as I can right now, and if you think there's anyone you know who would be helpful for me to talk to, I'd love to get in touch with them.\"\n\n\n**When asked \"why commercial real estate?\" this is the shit they love to hear:**\n\n* You can't imagine being chained to a desk 9-5 while someone else determines your earning potential. You have an entrepreneurial mindset and want to be in control of how much money you make. \"What's the point of working if it's not incentivized?\"\n\n* You are driven, and would like to determine how you conduct business to some degree. You don't need to be babysat, but you're always open to suggestions. In CRE, you're largely your own boss.\n\n* Brokers connect their clients with a tangible product. This is unique in the era of tech sales. \n\n* It's an industry that's ripe for disruption *examples:* [CRE // Tech Intersect](http://cretechintersect.com/) \n\n* It's a relationship business pure and simple, you like people\n\n\n\n\n*Sorry for the novel and formatting, OP, but I'd have had an easier go of it had someone given me all this information at the beginning of my search. Again, feel free to PM. I'm more than happy to help.*\n", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cn3lzt6", "text": "Check out the Massimo Group's New to Business (N2B) coaching program.  Www.Massimo-group.com.  No other program out there to assist new commercial real estate brokers in building their pipeline asap.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]