What's the best piece of advice you've received from a mentor or experienced real estate professional? How has this advice influenced your career?

My grandfather's example was the best professional advice I ever got. As a successful real estate investor, he created significant income streams through his properties and retired early, while also giving my brother and me the financial help we needed to pay for college. Thanks to his example, I realized early on that having income streams outside of a 9-5 is the best way to build wealth. That realization prompted me to take action: After graduation, I worked overtime to be able to afford a down payment on an investment property. Eventually, I reinvested my returns and scaled my investment portfolio until I was making enough through real estate that I was able to retire early too. Investing completely changed my career and my finances, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn't love their job or who just wants more financial security.

The best advice I've received is to "keep your eye on the people, not the deals." I used to be so focused on getting as many deals closed as quickly as possible, early in my career. It wasn't until later that I understood that real estate success is not about selling, but about knowing the people who are transacting. If you prioritize the needs of your clients, everything else will follow naturally. This change of mindset redirected the way I did my job. Rather than pursuing every opportunity, I concentrated on developing solid, long-term relationships. I discovered that if you hear people and know what they want to achieve, it builds confidence and loyalty. Real estate is a people business, and honest relationships are the key to lasting success. It was this advice that guided my business. It's not working more hours than the next fellow, it is working with intent and with honesty. Put the people first, and success takes care of itself. To establish business on the ground of trust, consistency, and grasp has been vital to me, and it's it which has upheld my career span in due time.

For me, the best piece of advice I've ever received came early on from a seasoned real estate professional who told me: "Don't chase transactions, build relationships." At the time, I was focused on hitting sales goals, growing fast, and closing deals. But that advice completely shifted how I approached the business. Instead of treating clients as one-time deals, I started focusing on providing real value, educating them, being transparent, and staying in touch well beyond the sale. That mindset helped me build long-term trust, which has led to repeat business and referrals that have fueled my career more than any cold lead ever could. Real estate is a relationship business at its core. When you focus on people first, the transactions naturally follow. That simple shift in perspective has shaped how I built Vancouver Home Search and how I lead my team at PLACE Real Estate Team - Oakwyn Realty today. It's not about closing one deal, it's about becoming their go-to person for everything real estate-related, for life.

When I first got into real estate, I made the classic mistake—thinking hustle alone would carry me. I was winging it, burning out, and making avoidable mistakes. That pushed me to seek out real mentors—folks like Jack Miller, John Schaub, Jimmy Napier, and David Tilney. These guys weren't just seminar circuit speakers—they were the real deal. I flew across the country to sit in four-day workshops, spending 8+ hours a day deep-diving into contracts, negotiation, creative financing, landlording, and tax strategies. That's when real estate stopped feeling like a hustle and started operating like a real business. Getting serious about education—real education, not just YouTube or gut instinct—was the turning point. It gave me structure, systems, and the kind of clarity that's allowed me to grow into rentals, flips, wholesaling, and discounted notes with confidence. I'm no longer guessing or reacting—I'm building something I can sleep well at night with. If you're just starting out or hitting a wall, I can't stress this enough: find mentors who've done what you want to do and invest in learning from them. That shift saved me years of trial and error.

The best advice I ever received came early in my career from a broker who told me, "Focus on service, not sales." That single sentence reshaped how I approached real estate. I stopped chasing transactions and started building trust. I learned to listen, not talk. I committed to doing the right thing, even when it meant walking away from a deal. Over time, that shift built a reputation that no marketing campaign could match. This advice taught me that long-term growth doesn't come from aggressive tactics. It comes from consistency, follow-through, and personal accountability. Clients want someone who picks up the phone, tells the truth, and stands by them until the keys are in their hand. I've built my business on that foundation. Every listing appointment, every negotiation, every final walk-through runs through the filter of service first. The numbers followed because the trust came first. I've passed that same advice to every agent I've mentored. It's simple, but it works. When agents focus on helping rather than selling, they stop chasing leads and start attracting them. The market changes. Rates go up. Inventory tightens. But people will always respond to service. That principle has guided me for nearly three decades, and I don't plan to change it.

Looking back, I can say the most impactful advice I received was the importance of mentorship in real estate which was given to me by an accomplished investor. I can clearly recall his words like it was yesterday, "Seek out someone who's success is where you're aiming to be, then learn from their journey." This powerful guidance restructured my mindset to the industry. This showed me early on in my journey to avoid unnecessary frustrations by not navigating the complexities of real estate alone. I learned to seek out personal insights and knowledge that extensively helped me to avoid common mistakes, major financial setbacks and ultimately making better decisions. Their support played an essential role in my growth and success today. It also manifested the foundation for the strong passion I now have to be continuously learning new resources in this constantly changing industry. Today, mentorship is a top priority in my career when setting steps to improve my personal skills and also to help others entering the field. I humble prioritize fostering relationships with experienced professionals as a crucial step for success in real estate.

At the beginning of my real estate career, the truth is that I ran into many challenges, but made decisions that ended up being mistakes, and had it not been for the advice and guidance of my experienced colleagues, chances are that I would have struggled even more, probably made more costly mistakes or lost valuable opportunities. That said, the best piece of advice I have received from a mentor who has helped to shape my career is " that I approach every client relationship with the mindset that the deal is a stepping stone to more opportunities and that it's my job to exceed their expectations and earn their long term trust. The biggest way this advice influenced my career is that it shaped my mindset, making me more focused on building lasting relationships and creating a loyal client base. In fact, by emphasizing the importance of making every client I work with feel like they are the only client I have, therefore enhancing their satisfaction with the quality of attention, and service they receive from me, I have been able to see and benefit from the potentials of the long term partnership, referrals and a steady stream of new opportunity. By prioritizing client relationships and understanding that despite the unique nature of the real estate landscape, the potential of every client to become a repeat customer, isn't altogether impossible, especially as word-of-mouth marketing can become a valuable asset to my career, helping to validate my professional reputation and expertise. Thanks to this advice, I was able to start building a strong network of loyal clients, establish myself as a trusted and skilled real estate professional, and generate referrals and repeat business which has been key to my long-term success in this competitive industry.

Hi Real Estate Brokers Team, Below is my answer to your query. What's the best piece of advice you've received from a mentor or experienced real estate professional? How has this advice influenced your career? The best advice I ever got was: "Don't chase deals—chase systems." Early on, I was saying yes to everything, working around the clock, thinking that effort alone would build the future I wanted. Then a mentor looked me straight in the eye and said, "If your business dies the moment you take a weekend off, you don't own a business, you own a job." That hit like a ton of bricks. It forced me to rethink everything. I stopped measuring success by how many deals I could potentially close and started measuring it by what could run without me—dialing in processes and creating systems that delivered consistent results, whether I was working or not. That shift turned real estate from a grind into a scalable, sustainable business. Anyone can chase deals, but if you want to grow, step back, and still get paid, you need systems that work even when you're not in the room. Thank you!

The best advice I received from a mentor was: "Buy for cash flow, not speculation." Early on, I was tempted by flashy appreciation plays or hot markets, but my mentor drilled into me that predictable income is what keeps you in the game long term—especially when the market shifts. That advice shaped my entire investing strategy. I now focus on properties where the numbers make sense on day one, with enough cushion to weather vacancies or repairs. It's kept me grounded, profitable, and out of trouble—no matter what the headlines say. For anyone starting out, that advice is gold. Appreciation is a bonus. Cash flow is what pays the bills and builds freedom.

My mentor always told me that the magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding. A lot of times we spend time in the minutiae avoiding the money making activities or not working enough hours in the day. That's precisely what I needed to hear when I was stuck in analysis paralysis and not taking action to achieve my real estate goals. Embracing long work hours, taking imperfect action and doing the work I was avoiding have transformed me into the successful real estate investor I am today.

The best advice I have ever received from my mentor was " Don't grade your own work". As our own worst critics we tend to hold ourselves hostage by grading ourselves with unrealistic expectations and standards. This ultimately holds us back from posting on social, sending that follow up email or returning that call/ text. Since implementing that mindset I have increased productivity 20% from our last KPI review.

The best advice I ever received was, "Don’t just buy houses—build relationships." Early in my career, I saw the difference when I took the time to truly listen to clients' needs rather than just focusing on the deal. Whether coaching football or flipping homes, the lasting trust and connections I’ve built have led to repeat business and heartfelt referrals, proving that relationships are the real foundation of success in this industry.

The best piece of advice I received from a mentor in real estate was, "You don't get paid to make offers—you get paid to solve problems." That shifted my entire approach. Instead of just focusing on numbers or pitching deals, I started listening more closely to what sellers, buyers, and landlords were really struggling with. Whether it was a vacant property costing them money, a bad tenant situation, or just needing to move quickly, I learned to position myself as the solution. That mindset helped me close more deals, build trust faster, and create long-term relationships that turned into repeat business and referrals. It reminded me that real estate isn't just about property—it's about people.

The one lesson that has really stayed with me is that real estate is about people. Sure, it pays to know the financial side and you need to know enough about the market to know a good deal when you see one, but ultimately, you need to be able to convince buyers, sellers, and brokers if you want to get things done. The more you connect with others, the better off you'll be.

The best piece of advice I ever received was to make sure to always look way down the road when considering a property for investment. Investors often make the mistake of not looking too far ahead at all when considering a property. For example, an area may seem to be booming right at that moment, so they jump on an investment, but if they had done a little more research they would have discovered that the area's growth may appear to be only temporary, and people may start moving to surrounding areas instead. The best real estate investments are the ones that have that long-term potential, so looking for that is essential.