When I first started in this business almost 10 years ago, I was afforded an incredible opportunity by birthright… the chance to office in the same room with a tenured broker who has been very successful in the land brokerage business since 1959, my father, Bill McDade.  I have sat less than 10 feet away from him for all these years, hearing every phone conversation, having the ability to ask questions as they arrive and learning the business moment by moment.

Little did we realize that this was a mentoring experiment that was about to expand.  I learned deals inside out: from getting the listing, to marketing the property, letters of intent, closing the contract, and all of the details that make the sale happen.  I have heard a few war stories, of how it used to be, the RTC days, the eighties, surviving the downspells and riding the waves.  As the business grew, we needed more help in our operation.

About five years ago, Bill took on another young broker to mentor, another relationship that has been very successful.  This young man, Hunter Jaggard, works arms length from both of us as well.  The three of us along with an assistant work hand in hand on every deal.  Every day we learn something new and have the opportunity to pass along knowledge and experience.

Several senior brokers in our firm took note of the process and have followed suit.  Each senior broker has recruited a bright trainee, eager to learn the industry from the best of the best.  Slowly, we have matched the right broker mentoring pairs and watched this concept yield results.  The young broker trainees have brought fresh ideas and energy with them.  Our firm is more productive and more profitable because of this collaboration.

My father, Bill McDade, is sought out by many young people.  They come to him for his wisdom, his experience, and his insight, as he directs them and their ideas to some of the key brokers, developers and investors in the city.  He has coached them about how to make inquiries and find the right fit with a personality that they can learn from and do business with.  Bill also encourages experienced brokers to talk to these young brokers regularly.  Hear their ideas, offer advice and benefit from their youthful energy.

We are seeing more broker mentorships like these in commercial real estate firms across the greater Houston area.  If you are a young person just getting into the business, consider talking to the more experienced brokers.  Look for opportunities to cooperate and partner with these mentors with the intent of getting your footing and experience in brokerage while helping them get a deal done!

In the end, these broker mentorships have resulted in some phenomenal new brokers handling some remarkable pieces of real estate in our city.  Some well respected brokers will have a chance to be even more successful by benefiting from the eager attitudes of their young partners.