How do I handle looking to young?

Houston, TX · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 14 votes

I’m 24, I’ve just graduated college about a year ago, and I am just getting into real estate. One issue that has become a hinderance more than I’d like to admit is the fact that I look so young. Most people say I look anywhere from 17-18, and I feel that looking so young can affect my credibility. Does anyone have any thoughts on how I could handle/ deal with/ leverage/ etc. the fact that I look so young? Thank you.

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Shaun J.

Long Island NY · Member since 2019 · 133 posts · 104 votes

When I was a bit younger than you, I was a stock broker on wall street, in NY. I was able to talk people into investing their IRA and Money Market accounts with me. If you know what you are doing, confidence exudes without trying to hype it up. Have your facts and NUMBERS right, build rapport and close the deal.

If you are chasing the right lists, this could even be your advantage (looking so young).

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Layne Meltzer
Investor · Nashville, TN · Member since 2016 · 7 posts · 7 votes
7y
@Shaun James
Jordan Belfort? The clown that scammed millions of dollars from honest, hardworking people that lost everything on account of him? His YouTube channel must be... insightful!
1 Reply
Shaun J.
Long Island NY · Member since 2019 · 133 posts · 104 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Layne Meltzer:

@Shaun James
Jordan Belfort? The clown that scammed millions of dollars from honest, hardworking people that lost everything on account of him? His YouTube channel must be... insightful!
If you learn from his bad, and learn to do good. You will learn something. He's super smart, just used it the wrong way. Everyone got greedy back then as stock brokers. Just like how the Banks got greedy before the collapse in RE.
Undeniably he's a hell of a salesman and negotiator.
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Anthony Wick
Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
7y
Numbers. Show them the numbers. Numbers don't know how old you are. Neither does money.
0 Reply
Anthony Dooley
Investor · Columbus, GA · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
7y
I seriously doubt that it's as big of a problem as you think it is. Nobody cares how old you are.
1 Reply
Alex Afandi
Member since 2019 · 1 post · 0 votes
7y
Look young, sound and act like a president. take an acting class and play investment banker roles. use terms such as "my objective" and "economic climate". you get the picture
0 Reply
Chris Steven
Upland, CA · Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez The way you feel internally will come across when you speak to associates so you’ll have to overcome the personal feelings you have or they will end up holding you back.
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Roy Muller
Member since 2018 · 27 posts · 19 votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez Get one of these. https://www.partycity.com/brown-lumberjack-facial-hair-set-752356.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwOObsuzn4QIVjMhkCh3VAwZBEAQYBiABEgK87fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&extcmp=pla%7CGoogle
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Steven Ko
Sunnyvale, CA · Member since 2018 · 191 posts · 178 votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez I am new myself. Turner and Greene talk about this often. Have you seen people treat you in a negative manner or is this a limiting belief you have that you think sets you back? My gf is 23 and I look like an Asian hippie (long hair, hat) and we just bought our first house (hopefully), still need to sign but everything else seems to be falling in place. If your agent treats you like a kid, you need a new agent :p YOU ARE THE BOSS! Gl and hf out there
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David Almendarez
Rental Property Investor · Sioux City, IA · Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 3 votes
7y
Yea I just bought a home cash and I'm 24 and look young and when I go to the bank they never believe me at first that I own rental property it's annoying.
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Kai Van Leuven
Investor · USA · Member since 2015 · 325 posts · 447 votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez
You only have one option;
Grow a well groomed ‘stach and buy a1987 Iroc Z.
1 Reply
Nancy P.
Naperville, IL · Member since 2018 · 330 posts · 357 votes
7y
My son is our PM while we are in Germany on a W-2 job. He has scouted and renovated four properties for us in just under two years. He's 27, 5'11", and 135 lbs. Cannot grow a beard. He caught a lot of flak at first from agents, lawyers, contractors, potential tenants. Our Realtor is about 42 but looks ten years younger. She taught him to respond to the "holy crap you're a BABY!" type comments by just giving the person THE STARE. You keep your mouth neutral but you just look hard at the person who said it. Same look you give the person who says ANYTHING inappropriate. For a good 5-10 seconds. Then go back to whatever you were saying. Shuts it down 95% of the time, and they apologize even about a third of the time. Because it really IS inappropriate, people just need to be reminded.
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John Corey
London · Member since 2019 · 722 posts · 386 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Alexander Vasquez:

I’m 24, I’ve just graduated college about a year ago, and I am just getting into real estate. One issue that has become a hinderance more than I’d like to admit is the fact that I look so young. Most people say I look anywhere from 17-18, and I feel that looking so young can affect my credibility. Does anyone have any thoughts on how I could handle/ deal with/ leverage/ etc. the fact that I look so young? Thank you.
At 24, you could be a startup billionaire from Silicon Valley.
If you believe it is an issue, it is. If you know your stuff and present well (be professional in person rather than acting like a young punk), it will sort itself out. There are a lot of false starts so even some of the old looking people like me will bump into dead ends.
I started investing in RE at 23 and had two properties in Silicon Valley by 24. I might not have looked young for my age at that time.
If the first reaction is the issue, defuse it through meeting by phone and other ways where they do not get to see you until they already know you are the real deal. That and just ignore it. Oh, you can bring up the elephant in the room very early in a first meeting. "You might think I am underage (under 18). Let me assure you I am 24 and I know my stuff from X experience or Y success). If you lack a track record, build one or get a partner who has one.
Good luck. You will be fine.
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Ian WalshBusiness Member
Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
7y
It's in your own head that it matters. I started young. One of the most intelligent and strongest wholesalers I know started at 26 and would run circles around 90% of the people 2x his age. Age is overcome by confidence and brains. I think it would be more of an issue if you were old, been in the business for 20 years and can't seem to make a buck. There is always a different angle. Focus on the money and don't worry about your age. I started at 22.
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David Dachtera
Rental Property Investor · Rockford, IL · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Alexander Vasquez:

I’m 24, I’ve just graduated college about a year ago, and I am just getting into real estate. One issue that has become a hinderance more than I’d like to admit is the fact that I look so young. Most people say I look anywhere from 17-18, and I feel that looking so young can affect my credibility. Does anyone have any thoughts on how I could handle/ deal with/ leverage/ etc. the fact that I look so young? Thank you.
Probably the best way around that is to get educated. If you know what you're talking about, the impression you make and the confidence you can project will help get over the humps of your youthful appearance and even your short experience.
My $0.02 ...
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Linda S.
Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez,
Use age to your advantage, try and get to know people-- ask them out for coffee and start networking aggressively. Everyone likes talking about themselves! I think it makes you uncomfortable (and trust me, I understand!) because it doesn't look like you fit in, but I'm gonna say, no one cares. Unless you're trying to do keg stands or shots at the bar of a meeting, no one thinks less of you or is concerned about your age.
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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Jonathan W.:

@Alexander Vasquez I had a friend who grew a beard to combat this situation. But one thing I noticed more then anything as I am still young and that of younger a acquaintance is that they have tendencies that they aren’t remotely aware of. I assure you it has very little to do with your looks although looks probably aren’t helping. I assure you it has everything to do with everything else. Just keep educating yourself, keep becoming more self reliance and the better you do at that, I guarantee you it won’t be as much as a “hinderance” as you suspect it is. Granted some people will still use your age or your being “green” against you and that will never change. But comes pros and cons of it and comes pros and cons of being experienced and set in your ways.
Good luck buddy.
in my day Beards were not to be warn at all if you were in sales.. just was not done.. only professors and chemists
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Michael Zau
Specialist · Escondido, CA · Member since 2008 · 60 posts · 21 votes
7y
Limiting beliefs are ideas that you lack something in order to obtain something else. Last time I checked, whenever there is value, age has no barrier. In the original movie, Charlie and the chocolate factory, only kids had the value of the golden ticket. Great example of how to use youth as the only component of your life. If you have hustle and ability to know your numbers, you will have tremendous value. You can offer value to the homeowner in distress that needs to sell their home quickly and you inform them , that do that, they have to sell low. At that point, you an wholesale the contract and offer value to in two places, the honesty that a seller can sell higher to whomever they want, but chooses you. Or to the retail flipper who pays your wholesale fee and you earn value through the contract. You can partner with someone else to keep the property and create value that way too. Value is always perceived in the holder of taker of the value. Keep learning and figuring it out, eventually a mentor will show up and guide you. For when the student is ready the teacher will appear.
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Courtney James
Rental Property Investor · Canton, OH · Member since 2019 · 67 posts · 40 votes
7y
Alexander,
I feel like I deal with the same issue. Our physical appearance and age is entirely out our control, but here are some tricks I try implement.
- Do your research, be prepared to answer questions thoughtfully and always be on time!
- Speak confidently, like you are well-informed and prepared to converse.
- Lead conversations and don't be afraid to introduce yourself first.
- Dress and carry yourself in a professional manner but also be authentic!
- Do some self inventory and determine how your background can bring value to others.
- Embrace being young, you have time on side!
Good luck moving forward!
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Alexander Vasquez
OP
Houston, TX · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 14 votes
7y
@Courtney James extremely valuable advice! Thank you for that!
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Michael Noto
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez I dealt with this earlier in my career and I just made sure I was the most prepared I could be from a knowledge and market perspective when talking to more seasoned investors or just in general when I spoke to older people who were involved in real estate.
Also, a big thing is to do and say exactly what you said you would do. Sounds basic but a lot of people (both young and old) miss that part of the business.
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Brett Goldsmith
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 500 votes
7y
Barley anyone will care once your knowledge and experience outshines people significantly older than you or people they have paid for information from. I get told often I am more helpful in 20-30 mins of my time then other professionals homeowners have worked with or paid on retainer for months. At that point it doesn't matter if I sound or look young.
I do dress nicely If I'm meeting older clients for the first time.
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Michael Strachan
Specialist · Santa Clara county, CA · Member since 2017 · 81 posts · 57 votes
7y
I know firsthand that this can be a huge mental block, but the good news is that it's just that! It's all mental, entirely in your head. I'm 22 and I frequently have people asking me about my age (The usual guess is 16-18). Of course people will instinctively make a snap judgment about who you are as soon as they see you, it's human nature. Take this as the blessing that it is! You will be underestimated and misjudged, but you have the opportunity to completely blow that image out of the water with your knowledge and passion for what you do. I have had people walk into my open house and ask me if my mom was the listing agent, but there is no better feeling than putting that to rest by displaying a clear and concise understanding of the subject matter. Use the traits that come with youth to your advantage! Show them that young people are a force to be reckoned with because we simply have the energy, drive, and hunger to achieve.
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Eric Carr
Real Estate Broker · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 655 posts · 293 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Alexander Vasquez:
I’m 24, I’ve just graduated college about a year ago, and I am just getting into real estate. One issue that has become a hinderance more than I’d like to admit is the fact that I look so young. Most people say I look anywhere from 17-18, and I feel that looking so young can affect my credibility. Does anyone have any thoughts on how I could handle/ deal with/ leverage/ etc. the fact that I look so young? Thank you.
Couple of tips for you:
LEARN, become as educated as possible, become a source and people wont care how old you are. In fact, being young will make this strategy work even better for you. Be the outlier. Have the knowledge, act and work with integrity and maturity and wisdom
How you speak and write also matter, ex "Looking too young" - proper grammar will go a long way. I admit, I'll misspell things in blog posts or emails and just keep typing because I don't want to take the time to go back and correct. But you should
How you dress and act. Don't dress and act like the other 24, or even 17-18 year old kids around you.
Most of all education. Not school or a degree. I mean reading books applicable to building skill in the business and also dealing with people. Podcasts are great also. Learn everything you can from every source you can
You'll often find in life, your biggest challenges, in this case a hindrance, can become your greatest asset. Flip it around and make it work for you
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Jerryll Noorden
Flipper/Rehabber · Wilton, CT · Member since 2015 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
7y
Ohh puhleez.
My case is WAY worse.
I look like I am Ape years old, and I act like a goofball punk kid that never grew up .
(Jay Hinrich shut up, no one asked you.... besides you were supposed to call me. I am breaking up with you).
Dude... no one cares how you look or act, as long as you are credible.. what ever you do to be credible. I act like a phoomba here yet everyone worships the ground I walk on. Ask Jay
Legitimately be the best at what you do and no one cares what you look like (except if you are a dark foreigner that smells like 5 day old unwashed ape). But you? nahh you are fine!
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Alex KhanPro Member
Specialist · Southeast Michigan · Member since 2015 · 300 posts · 244 votes
7y
@Alexander Vasquez
How do I handle looking too old ?
248-979-8119
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