Think of them more as a partner in assisting you meet your goals.

The goal is to keep track of all of your losses, paper or otherwise. 

This buyer's agent and I are working towards the same end goal, fortunately.

We are not the right choice for everyone, but we do help hundreds of investors every year start and progress their investing goals.

My goal is to become an expert in property management.

If you approach the conversation by first finding out their goals, then you can back into a strategy that will work for the both of you.

My goals for joining is to meet people, build relationships and hopefully get my own thing going!

Sounds like strategy call would make most sense to see what your goals are with REI and being an agent to determine if the organization I represent aligns with the direction you are looking to go. 

Once you're ready, create a goal (e.g., "I will buy at least one single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex before the end of 2019") and then do it.

I'm currently with an investment brokerage but my end goal is to be an investor and feel the big shoes my parents are leaving me with!