Question for Commercial Brokers

[Vinh Dawkins]

Hello! My name is Vinh Dawkins, and I am a student entering my senior year next fall and I am looking to pursue a career in commercial real estate. I also will be doing an internship at a commercial brokerage here in Lakeland this summer. For the commercial brokers: What are the first steps you would take if you had to restart your career again today?

[Tiffany Colvert]

Hi Vinh, I would recommend picking a focus or specialization right away (Office, Retail, Industrial, etc.) and working to become the expert for that in your market. I chose to specialize early on, and I genuinely believe that is one of the main reasons I had success so quickly. There is so much to learn and there are so many intricacies with every deal type that it is nearly impossible to master all of them. Specializing helps you narrow the focus and scale up fast.

Plus, it makes marketing and prospecting a lot easier. Would you rather market to and try and reach EVERYONE- or market to a group of doctors, or restaurant owners? If you specialize you can focus on reaching a more precise group. Thus, saving you time and money and making your marketing campaigns more personalized. Also, when you are cold calling or cold walking you will be more intentional. Best of luck!