Picking a Mentor 101

I have just gotten my licence, and am currently in ERA. I would like to ask if it is possible to change to another group internally? My DD/Manager is really too busy to help me most of the time and everything is of self-service. Feel very demoralised!

Posted by Matt - Jan 14, 2012 -Viewed 92 times

Hi Matt!

I hear your frustration; understanding that you are not getting the necessary guidance is the first step to remedy your situation.  The next question is to understand the next step that you can/should take.

Looking at your intended direction for a change internally given that your DD/Manager is too busy to help you most of the time, I am making an inference that you picked your company first, and not with the selection of your DD/Manager as your first priority. 

I would suggest that you take some time and speak with successful real estate agents, and eventually you will find a common trait that they all share.  In the starting point of their careers, ALL of them would have had a good and dedicated mentor who guided and taught them the necessary lessons and skills that made them the successful salespeople/leaders that they are today.  NOT the brand or lack of a brand of the company that they joined.

Selecting a good teacher is paramount to success in this industry. 


The field of real estate is very different from other sales related industries, for example, automobiles, insurance etc.  For instance, every piece of real estate is different, has different characteristics and traits.  The people involved, the buyers, the sellers, the brokers, ALL are different from deal to deal.  Hence, the skills sets are very diverse and dynamic, thus making it very obvious that the lessons that a new agent would need in this industry are very broad and in-depth.


From the situation that you are in, it seems that you have made a wrong first step.  Thus by remedying that wrong first step by taking another step forward might not necessarily be the right action.  Sometime, taking a step backward might serve you better.
Some useful tips for interviewing your mentor / future manager are as such:

1.      Knowing that all agencies that you join will have their own in-house training sessions, these costs are unavoidable, but be wary that some recruiters are more in the business of selling training programs, rather than grooming successful sales persons.  A direct question that you need to ask to ascertain this is,

“Are you getting a share from the training session that I have to pay for?”

2.     There are typically only 2 types, or variations of the 2 of associates that come into the Real Estate Industry, and it is vitally important that you know for yourself which of these 2 that you yourself are:

A)    Independent and seeks GUIDANCE (The Ranger)

This associate “type” is the one who sees the opportunities, identifies the problems, and seeks out the mentor on a consultative basis to affirm the proposed action plan, and for reviews on the outcome of the earlier choice.

B)    Dependant and seeks DIRECTION (The Soldier)

This associate “type” requires much guidance in terms of planning the work schedule and day-to-day activities.

Statistically, 2 out of 10 new associates will be Ranger “types”, while the rest are “Soldier” types. 

This phenomenon is an unfortunate by-product of the local education system that has trained generations to be good and hardworking employees, but lousy initiative-driven problem-solvers.


There are success paths for both, and the right mentor will have solutions to achieve success for both “types” that they meet.
For the first (The Rangers), the mentor MUST be accessible.  The Ranger type only calls for guidance on an “as-needed” basis, hence the mentor must be knowledgeable, and promptly offer alternatives and foresight into the possibilities that The Ranger will face in the given situation.


For the second (The Soldier), the mentor must have a structured activity driven program that new associates come into that gives both training and activities on a team level to ensure their success in the near-term, at times, personally leading them in the field.
An “A” grade teacher takes that all another step further by teaching the THINKING PROCESSES (These are no longer skill sets) that lead the good Soldier types, to eventually cross over into a more Ranger type.


In summary, you must know which type you tend towards, so that you can DIRECTLY ask your mentor if they are able to support your requirements on your path to achieving your success in this business!
Hope this gives you a better understanding into how you can best move forward.

Best of luck,

Mervin Tang

Marketing Manager
CEA Reg No. : R030951Z
Huttons Asia Pte Ltd
Mobile: (65) 9184 0208
Website: http://www.SGrealestate.sg
Sales Enquiry: mervintang@SGrealestate.sg
Discussions: http://sg-realestate-sg.blogspot.com/