All Forum Posts by: Michael Morris

I'm new and motivated as well. Check out my post!

http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/32/topics/1492...

@AdamGriffis,

First off, I wouldn't say I found it easy to get in with a firm. It's not a simple task when you're straight out of college and have no experience, especially when trying to go straight into brokerage. 

Most CRE firms, and especially the big fish tend to look for at least 3 years of property management before they will consider hiring you as a broker. The firm I'll be starting at has a similar prerequisite but will occasionally make exceptions.

In my case, I came on for a summer as an intern and worked two weeks in each sector of the company (accounting, lease admin, property management, brokerage and asset management). Throughout the course of my time there, I continuously sought out the brokers, although they were sometimes hard to approach, and made it vehemently clear that I had the right attitude and commitment to become a broker. 

Throughout the course of the following school year, I kept up with people around the firm, especially my mentor that had gotten me the internship in the first place, and whose nephew was now playing on my lacrosse team.  Not a bad coincidence. 

So after I graduated, I let him know I was headed to Australia for six months but was still very interested in working for him if anything came up. About a month and a half later, he reached out and asked me to come on as a broker working under him. 

For you right now, you need to realize that the commercial real estate industry is driven by relationships. Reach out to anyone and everyone you know in the industry and ask them what they know about who is hiring and how to get hired. However, you're only going to know so many people. 

You can look up firms online, become another applicant in their system with a resume and a cover letter... but don't do that. 

Get a phone number of a broker, CEO, whatever. Call them and say I want to work for your company, and tell them how you can contribute to their success. If you're after a brokerage position go to them and say all I need is a desk, I'll go out and earn my commissions. 

Know that the process isn't easy. Have a list of about 10 companies and numbers, sit down and call each one, one after another until you get a bite. It's easier to batch the calls than convince yourself to make one call each day, so dedicate a time slot to get it all done with real conversation rather than becoming just another applicant. 

I'm happy to help more, let me know how it goes. The fact that you're reaching out to people on BP is great. Also, I'm working on putting together a CRE company directory on my blog for those looking for work, so look out for that.

Best of luck, 

Michael

Love it Peter! That quote holds true in many facets of life!

BP readers,

For those of you that don't know me, I'm starting out as a cre broker in January and am really pumped up to return from my stint in Australia to get started (although I'm quite happy "down under").

I've just graduated college and feel I have an unbelievable opportunity to get started working under a mentor I established a relationship with the previous summer.

Anyways, I've found that reading relevant quotes fires me up more and more and gets me thinking about the grueling workload I'll be facing come January.

Since we can all use a bit of motivation every now and then, below are some of my favorite quotes I've come across recently:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. –Wayne Gretzky

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. –Alice Walker

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. –Michael Jordan

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. –Christopher Columbus

The best revenge is massive success. –Frank Sinatra

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. –Leonardo da Vinci

If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission.~Anonymous

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.~Walt Disney

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.~Thomas A. Edison

“Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you.” -Ray Lewis

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.~Eleanor Roosevelt

If you're going through hell keep going.~Winston Churchill

The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.~Anonymous

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.~John D. Rockefeller

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.~Steve Jobs

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.~Thomas Jefferson

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up." -Vince Lombardi

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.~Booker T. Washington

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” -Jerry Rice

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The list could go on and on, but I think this is a good place to start. Pick out your favorite and comment on why it is such or add to the list!

Cheers,

Michael

BP readers,

For those of you that don't know me, I'm starting out as a cre broker in January and am really pumped up to return from my stint in Australia to get started (although I'm quite happy "down under").

I've just graduated college and feel I have an unbelievable opportunity to get started working under a mentor I established a relationship with the previous summer.

Anyways, I've found that reading relevant quotes fires me up more and more and gets me thinking about the grueling workload I'll be facing come January.

Since we can all use a bit of motivation every now and then, below are some of my favorite quotes I've come across recently:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. –Wayne Gretzky

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. –Alice Walker

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. –Michael Jordan

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. –Christopher Columbus

The best revenge is massive success. –Frank Sinatra

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. –Leonardo da Vinci

If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission.~Anonymous

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.~Walt Disney

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.~Thomas A. Edison

“Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you.” -Ray Lewis

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.~Eleanor Roosevelt

If you're going through hell keep going.~Winston Churchill

The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.~Anonymous

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.~John D. Rockefeller

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.~Steve Jobs

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.~Thomas Jefferson

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up." -Vince Lombardi

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.~Booker T. Washington

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” -Jerry Rice

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The list could go on and on, but I think this is a good place to start. Pick out your favorite and comment on why it is such or add to the list!

Cheers,

Michael

Jack,

Find a mentor within your company that will nudge you in the right direction. Try your hand at anything and everything and you will figure out what you like and don't like. 

Otherwise, get out and meet with investors, business owners, landlords and any other possible tenants. Cold calling sucks but it's important when just starting out. 

Commercial sales is going to be something you might get into down the line. It's pretty hard to jump right in to investment sales with no experience. 

Hope this helps,

Michael

My site is growing slowly as I work on making time to consistently write posts. Thanks for the tip on the signature, I wasn't aware that 10 posts allowed you add one.

If you would, check out my site and let me know what you think. 

@Joel Owens I've actually taken another profile picture, so I'll get that uploaded soon, thanks for the tip.

Otherwise, the thing with your "blog" is that you don't own it. I know it's a long and lonely road to build an audience for my own blog, but it's a platform for me to share great content with a loyal following of professionals that directly relate to me. 

The people I aim to drive to my blog are commercial real estate brokers and investors. That is my niche, and that is who I plan on doing business with. I'd rather focus my efforts towards building a following and culture that is mine, which I control, and will hopefully make money from down the road. I can also give potential clients a unique url for them to go to in order to see what I've done, what kind of person I am, that I have a following, etc. 

That is the reason I'm willing to work hard to build my own blog, let me know if that makes sense. 

@Michaela G. Great advice on paying attention to the methods here in Australia. I've been picking up on some forms of advertising that are much different than in the States, and will be sure to pick and choose which ones I believe will be successful. 

@Brad M. The broker's main focus is retail, but he works on investment sales as well, which I believe is where my passion is, but time will tell. I figure I'll be open to anything until I get some real experience. 

Good point on time, you can always be more efficient with your time, especially when you've been in the business for so long, as this broker has. He has been a top producer at the firm for a number of years, so I'll be sure to make sure his time is well spent on generating business rather than administrative or non-generating activities. Thanks!

Martin,

Thank you so much for that. Giving me a couple steps to take is exactly what I was looking for. I've been looking into getting my CCIM designation and will be sure to check out the IREM info. If you could send along details for that I'd really appreciate it. 

Otherwise, I'm pretty analytical and am ready for RE Finance to become a second nature. I'll be sure to start exploring further education in the field. Again, really appreciate the advice