How do I convince a broker I'm worth training from scratch?
Colorado. Quick background: I'm working a third season of ski patrol this winter. I'm also trying to gain a meaningful understanding of working in real estate before I head back east (family) and eventually go for my salesperson license there. Right now I'm halfway through my 168-hour CO licensure course and sitting in on a weekly in-house training a local managing broker runs for his new associates — he invited me in after we connected through networking.
Okay...Everyone I've talked to locally points me toward becoming a part-time (hourly) associate broker's assistant to learn the ropes, given my goals and inability to fully commit to the career right now. The problem is, they also said pretty much nobody hires an unlicensed assistant. For this reason, I decided to get my license — not because becoming an associate broker is the goal right now, but because it seems to be the price of entry to get in the room/to help meaningfully facilitate transactions for an associate broker. What I actually want is to learn the language and movement of the business from someone who's already good at it, before I try to do this for real on my own.
I have a resume, cover letter, and a letter of recommendation ready to go. Trying to figure out:
- What else should I put together before approaching brokers about assistant work?
- How do I sell myself when I have no industry experience — what's actually valuable about a green, licensed assistant?
- What kind of broker or brokerage should I target if I want real mentorship instead of grunt work?
- Anything to watch out for when someone offers to bring you on?
Appreciate any input from people who've been on either side of this.