Looking to get feet wet

[Ryan Taylor]

Hello!

I have posted here a few times now and I finally have gotten into the position to get my feet wet. I currently a rising/late Junior at WWU in Bellingham, WA and am looking to tap into locals willing to show a newbie how things are in the area. I'm interested in a career in PM, Sales, or even Development in residential or commercial RE. I study finance and economics and anticipate to graduate either this coming spring, or after next fall. That means I need to start getting experience ASAP. I am currently working on my license right now as I think it would be a huge help in understanding fundamentals in practices and law. That being said, I am doing everything I can right now shy of getting actual work experience in the market. I know things are hot right now and that is why I'm hoping there are those out there that could use an extra hand, or even just want to help a newbie enter the field. I am available 15-20 hours a week beginning in Fall and would love to find a position I can gain experience in part time until graduation.

Ryan Taylor

[Julian Sibley]

@Ryan Taylor Welcome to BP! Get a profile photo! haha slightly joking, but it will help when you start networking. My wife and I graduated from WWU, Bellingham is a great place to be. If you want to work in sales I would still get your RE license, but if your focus is property management, or development I don't see the immediate benefit from having your license. That being said, I don't have my RE license so I might be biased.

I don't know of many events up there, but popular places to find networking opportunities are here on BP (Network tab up top, then click events). Or I've found several on meetup.com. @Robert Freeborn could probably get you plugged in with some locals up there, they're also hosting a networking event in Mt. Vernon on the 21st @ 6pm??, it's a bit of a drive but you would meet some great people. If you're open to driving there will also be a networking event on Monday 9/25 @ 7PM at the Marysville Bob's Burgers.

Figure out what your good at, and find someone in your area who needs help with whatever it is you're good at. Or if you're lucky enough to see their process and think you can do it better, show them how. If people ask let them know you're new to real estate, but focus on seeing what their problems are or where they are having bottlenecks in their process and offer to help them do the things they dislike or struggle at. If you can provide value you're more likely to find a position where you can gain experience, as opposed to seeking a mentor to train you, but that's just my $0.02.

Keep searching through the forums for info, and listening to the BiggerPockets podcast in the meantime, and if you have any questions ask! Another thing to keep in mind, if you want to get in real estate after school you should focus on getting a W2 job (hourly or salary position). It will help you qualify for conventional financing much faster, since you won't have to wait 2 years to establish a work history of receiving commission pay.