Starting Real Estate Young

[Alexander McNichols]

Hey guys, my name is Alex McNichols. I am a 17 year old senior at New Albany High School near Columbus, Ohio with a huge interest in real estate. This summer I have learned a ton while completing a 120-hour senior project where I am shadowing Mitch Deminski, the owner of Solutions for Real Estate. With him I am learning about property management, investing, being an agent, and owning a brokerage. I plan on studying finance with a focus in real estate in college. My question is with 10 months until I turn 18, what would you recommend I focus on these next few months to launch my real estate career? Thanks for any input, I look forward to meeting many of you in the future.

[Dave Poeppelmeier]

@Alexander McNichols, that's fantastic that you were able to shadow someone like that at your age! It's also great that you have this interest in Real Estate now. Most of us in RE didn't get involved immediately, and we wish we were working on this at 17 years old!

From someone who took the non-traditional path to being an investor and Realtor (I was a Physical Therapist for 20 years), my questions to you are:

1. What part of RE interests you the most? Property Management? Realtor? Broker? Investor? 

2. What are your goals? Own lots of properties and do the bread and butter live off passive income happily ever after? Own a brokerage? Own a PM company? Being a Rockstar Realtor throwing dollar bills out of your Lambo in the Short North? 

Of course you can do most of these concurrently, and you have plenty of time to figure it out. Here's the kicker: you don't have to go to college to do any of this. Now, don't get me wrong, college is one of the most fun times of your life coming from the guy that does Student Housing. If your parents are helping you with college, then absolutely, go for it. But, it's not required. You can take some online finance classes and accomplish the same goals that going to college would do. Experience trumps book smarts in this field I feel. 

Going back to your original post, what should you do the next few months? I would agree with @Dan Nelson and be an assistant to a Realtor or work in an office of a Brokerage or Title Company if they'll hire a 17 year old. Heck, even volunteer if you don't need the money. Just stay around the industry, and you'll be light years ahead of us who had to completely rewire our brains to get where we are. Best of luck to you!!!