Real Estate.
Isn’t it fascinating how something you didn’t pay attention to can suddenly be the main thing on your mind?
While in college, my dream of becoming an NBA player started to seem more and more unrealistic as the years went on.
My first year was filled with optimism as I went from not playing a second during my first ever college game, to playing the most minutes out of all players in the conference that same year.
A few misfortunes from that time to my senior year, and before I knew it, I found myself meeting with some of the most prominent people in the real estate world a few months after graduating.
Without knowing it, real estate had been around me my whole life.
The house I lived in, the schools I attended, and even the basketball courts I ran up & down on. Real Estate was, and is everywhere.
At the age of 26, this is finally clear to me.
While in college, my close friend Ben sent me a picture of a check worth $17,000.
“Get your license bro, and I’ll get you into Elliman.”
Douglas Elliman was known as the premier residential real estate firm in NYC — and at the time, it seemed like a great backup plan in case I did not fulfill my dreams of becoming an NBA player.
I took Ben up on that offer, got my license, and had an interview with Elliman.
Due to the fact that I was going to school in Massachusetts, the Elliman opportunity didn’t make sense — but I now had my license, and a whole new world was opening up right before my eyes.
When I returned to Stonehill College for my senior year, my housemate had just finished a summer internship with CBRE — the worldwide leader in commercial real estate services.
Nick told me all about his internship, how amazing the industry was, and why it was better than residential.
“They love to hire athletes, there’s much higher earning potential!”
Higher earning potential AND they love to hire former athletes? … Where do I sign up?
That wasn't all that Nick told me.
This industry was incredibly competitive and difficult to get into.
For me to get in, Nick said I had to meet with at least 50 people.
Oddly? I saw this as a challenge. As something I wanted to do.
A phone call during winter break with the father of someone I had transferred to Stonehill with changed everything for me.
Anfei, one of my closest girl friends at the time told me that her father had spent 20+ years working for CBRE in Boston.
She set up a call between he and I, and we spoke for over two hours.
During the call, he explained the business, gave me a list of people to reach out to, and provided advice moving forward.
I am forever grateful for that call.
I wrote down every name he said, and as soon as my basketball season ended senior year, I began my journey.
That spring I met with at least 20 different people from the top real estate companies in the Boston area. CBRE, JLL, Cushman Wakefield. I was in each of those offices.
I wore the same exact set of clothes to each meeting, and aside from the first meeting, I made sure I had my notebook each time.
Even though I spent a ton of money driving my dodge ram into the city and parking multiple times a week, I loved the chase, and I loved having the ability to pick the brains of people that had been in the business for years.
After graduating Stonehill, I headed back to New York and strategically had the people I met with in Boston connect me with their colleagues in New York.
New York was a little different.
If you’re from the east coast, you know that the buildings in Boston are nice, but the buildings in Manhattan are top of the line.
This is where I saw myself working.
I found myself meeting with some of the most prominent people in the real estate world. The president of JLL, The Vice Chairman at Cushman Wakefield, the Executive Vice President at CBRE — these were all people that I built relationships with that summer, and it was amazing.
By the grace of God, I was given an opportunity to play professional basketball while pursuing a master’s degree in Colchester, England — 1 hour from London after graduating college.
I met with the real estate professionals in NYC, told them I was going to England for a year, and let them know that I would be back.
Again, I had the professionals in New York connect me with their colleagues in London so that I could continue to learn more about the business.
During my 10 months in England, I found myself catching the 1 hour train to London several times to meet with professionals from CBRE, and JLL — I even ended up landing an internship with JLL after speaking to one of the most prominent people in London Commercial Real Estate.
The internship went well, I learned a ton, made new relationships, and headed back to New York.
Months later, I circled back with the people I met with prior to leaving the United States, and landed a full-time job at JLL.
Today, I am in my second year with the company and currently trying to figure out what my next move will be.
I’m in my contract year, and I know my next move will have a major impact on the trajectory of my career.
I have mentors, I have knowledge, I have leverage, but I also have doubt.
God put real estate into my life for a reason. Without knowing it, real estate has made it to the forefront of my mind, and I would be a fool to not give it all I had.
If God has brought me this far, I know he has a plan for me.
Thank you God … for introducing me to Real Estate.