What's my role as a mentoree/apprentice?

Question

Soon I'm goign to be connected with a potential mentor, & I'm trying to get a feeling for what the relationship should be like. I have a bunch of general questions for them (general & specific). What are my duties/ what should i offer them as an apprentice?

Daniella Sanchez · Answer

I partnered up with a seasoned real estate agent over 2 years ago and she is now my full time partner. When I reached out to her (I had seen her winning awards at the managing broker's office I wanted to join and she has over 40 years in real estate), I could tell she was hesitant but open to mentoring me.

Heres what I did:

ENTHUSIASM AND INITIATIVE. They want to FEEL how badly you want to learn. Remember they are practically doing you a favor especially if they are very successful, time is money, and if they feel it is time wasted they'll be the first to walk away.

I was always offering my time and effort. If she mentioned an open house, I'd tell her I can host it. If she was considering a new home organization flyer, I'd be first to say let me get some templates together. "I read this great article with some unique tips I think we could share with your clients." You get the idea...

Every single one of these moments you are learning, so take advantage and show them how much you want to learn.

ASK QUESTIONS. Again this goes with the first point. It shows them you are genuinely interested and they will be attracted to that.

BE YOURSELF. Be your authentic self, whether that be silly, curious, bubbly etc. Don't try to win them over with fancy words when you email them or talk to them. They will most definitely be turned off by wannabes.

Overall idea. Think of this as not only a course in education but you get to make (hopefully) a long lasting relationship out of it. Be humble yet confident. And REMEMBER, if YOU don't feel like its a good fit, YOU CAN WALK AWAY. It's important you find someone you connect with and the feeling is mutual.

Luke Carl · Answer

@Jerry Cima People call me constantly. Always with the same story. “I hate my job.”  I’ll talk to them for 30 minutes or an hour and paint a picture of what their entire future could look like. And then I never hear from them again. One time a guy told me I “changed his life” and then he disappeared and never bought anything.

Not that I’m some guru or mentor but I’m financially free in my 30s (ok damn near 40)

To answer your question in two words.... BUY SOMETHING.

Jerry Cima · Answer

Thanks, that is a huge help. I've been reading & leaning about real estate investing nonstop for nearly a month now, I'll make sure i communicate how much time I've been putting into it and how much i want to be successful in this field. I'll also plan to ask what they are working on now, & see if i can fit in to provide some of my time/assistance so show I'm serious. Thanks again!

James Wise · Answer

I would imagine you are paying them a fee for their time yes? If so that's it.

Jay Chang · Answer

Even as an apprentice or mentee, there is still a lot of value you can add to your mentor.

Assuming your mentor is quite successful, he probably doesn't have time doing everything himself and wouldn't mind using a little help for free.

For example, when I was just starting out, I connected with a local developer building 30-60 unit apartment/mixed-used in Los Angeles. He was interested in expanding into Culver City and Monrovia, so I did some code research for him. I put all the information on zoning and bonus dwelling units together into a nice report for him, and he found it very helpful. We ended up becoming really close friends, and started looking at ground-up projects together.

I was also connected with another retail developer who was working on a $100 million renovation project next to Disneyland. He was looking for potential tenants, so I helped him connect with some people. He ended up signing contracts with one of them. The truth is, I didn't know any of these tenants, but I called them up and presented them the project. I sold them the developer's idea and vision.

None of the stuff I did require much expertise. You just need to dedicate time and effort.

Hopefully these examples will inspire you to add value to your mentors. Don't be one of those mentees that just keeps taking, even if you are paying money to your mentor. Continue to add value to others, and you'll go a long way in life :)

John Underwood · Answer

This is completely up to you and your mentor.

Offer to buy him lunch at meetings. Come prepared with questions so you can get everything answered and not waste the guys time asking stuff you forgot to ask.

Ask him what would he do if he were you.

What would he do differently if he could go back and do things over?

Caleb Heimsoth · Answer

@Jerry Cima. I would say are 1 is to be knowledgeable and attentive to what they say.  Beyond that it’s to show initiative.  Most people who want to do something in real estate, never do anything in real estate because it’s hard work, lots of ups and downs and takes time.

Jerry Cima · Answer

Thanks, these are great points!

What's my role as a mentoree/apprentice?

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