Brokerage Experience or College Focus for Long Term Investing

Brokerage Experience or College Focus for Long Term Investing

New to Real Estate · Austin, TX · Member since 2023 · 51 posts · 21 votes

Hey BP, I'm looking for some guidance from people further down the road than me.

I’m 19 and recently finished military service overseas in combat. I’ve already started investing in real estate and plan to keep building long-term. I’ve also begun the process of getting my real estate license.

My end goal (at the moment) is ownership and investing or , but part of me is considering working at a brokerage for a few years after college to learn from experienced agents/operators and build a real world experience before scaling further.

At the same time, I want to go back to school and finish a degree. I originally planned on business, but because I’ll be transferring later with about 24 credits, getting into the business school at UT isn’t realistic anymore.

So now I’m looking at other majors possibly Urban Studies and pairing that with finance and architecture / built environment classes to better understand:

• how markets grow
• zoning / development
• value-add opportunities

I’m torn between:

– Going all-in on investing + brokerage experience
– Or using college as a tool to better understand cities and long-term real estate dynamics

For those of you who run brokerages or have hired agents:

If I were applying to your brokerage, how important would it be that my degree is in business?

Would something like Urban Studies  combined with finance and architecture-related coursework still be taken seriously if my goal is to grow into investing / development long term?

If you were 19, already investing, planning to get licensed, and had the option to finish a degree what would you focus on and how would you go about it?

Appreciate any perspective from those who’ve gone from early ownership into scaling or partnerships.

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Lender · Marlboro, NJ · Member since 2025 · 243 posts · 150 votes
8mo

I wish I had invested more aggressively at 19 when my downside risk was basically zero. Time is your biggest asset right now, take full advantage of it and your future self will thank you. 

If your end goal is ownership and investing, I’d optimize for proximity to deals and operators. Brokerage can give you reps, pattern recognition, and access to opportunities faster than most degrees.

College isn’t useless, but the major matters less than the network and the skills you build. Urban Studies + finance is completely legitimate if you’re serious about development long term. What won’t matter much is the label of “business” versus something adjacent.

If I were in your shoes, I would:

- Get licensed
- Work around high-volume operators or investment brokers
- Invest small and often
- Use school strategically, not passively

Real-world reps compound faster than classroom theory in this space.

You’re already ahead by thinking about this intentionally.

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Lender · Marlboro, NJ · Member since 2025 · 243 posts · 150 votes
    8mo

    I wish I had invested more aggressively at 19 when my downside risk was basically zero. Time is your biggest asset right now, take full advantage of it and your future self will thank you. 

    If your end goal is ownership and investing, I’d optimize for proximity to deals and operators. Brokerage can give you reps, pattern recognition, and access to opportunities faster than most degrees.

    College isn’t useless, but the major matters less than the network and the skills you build. Urban Studies + finance is completely legitimate if you’re serious about development long term. What won’t matter much is the label of “business” versus something adjacent.

    If I were in your shoes, I would:

    - Get licensed
    - Work around high-volume operators or investment brokers
    - Invest small and often
    - Use school strategically, not passively

    Real-world reps compound faster than classroom theory in this space.

    You’re already ahead by thinking about this intentionally.

    • New to Real Estate · Austin, TX · Member since 2023 · 51 posts · 21 votes
      8mo
      Quote from @Pierre Guirguis:

      I wish I had invested more aggressively at 19 when my downside risk was basically zero. Time is your biggest asset right now, take full advantage of it and your future self will thank you. 

      If your end goal is ownership and investing, I’d optimize for proximity to deals and operators. Brokerage can give you reps, pattern recognition, and access to opportunities faster than most degrees.

      College isn’t useless, but the major matters less than the network and the skills you build. Urban Studies + finance is completely legitimate if you’re serious about development long term. What won’t matter much is the label of “business” versus something adjacent.

      If I were in your shoes, I would:

      - Get licensed
      - Work around high-volume operators or investment brokers
      - Invest small and often
      - Use school strategically, not passively

      Real-world reps compound faster than classroom theory in this space.

      You’re already ahead by thinking about this intentionally.


      Hey Pierre, really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

      I’m planning to finish my license this year by wrapping up the remaining Texas-required modules at my local community college (they’re free, which helps).

      I do want to dive in, but I’ve been in a combat zone the past 8 months, so most of what I’ve learned about real estate so far has come from books, BiggerPockets, and creators who actually show the ups and downs — not just the course-selling side of things. I’m thinking school might help me sharpen my thinking a bit, especially since I’m lucky enough to have in-state tuition covered. 

      When you talk about getting close to high-value operators, what does that usually look like in practice?

      Is that more like trying to work or intern with them, learning by seeing how they underwrite deals, or just being around the right rooms like meetups and local networks?

      Appreciate the perspective just trying to understand how you’d approach that early stage.

  • Lender · Marlboro, NJ · Member since 2025 · 243 posts · 150 votes
    8mo

    @Jake Burkons First off, respect. Eight months overseas puts you ahead in ways most people won’t understand.

    To answer your question directly, getting close to high-value operators means proximity to actual decisions, not just networking.

    In practice that looks like:

    - Working for or alongside an investment-focused brokerage team
    - Interning or assisting an operator who’s actively buying small multifamily
    - Helping underwrite real deals and seeing why they pass on most of them
    - Sitting in on lender, contractor, and partner conversations

    You want exposure to how deals are sourced, financed, negotiated, and sometimes killed. Seeing why someone walks away from a deal is just as valuable as watching one close.

    Local meetups are great, but don’t go just to “be around real estate.” Go with the intention of identifying who is actually buying, selling, or raising capital right now. The real learning happens when you’re around people actively putting their own money at risk, not just talking about deals. Before you go, decide what you’re looking for. An operator who owns 20 units. A broker who closes investment sales. A lender who funds small multifamily. Then introduce yourself with a reason. One real conversation with someone active is worth more than five casual ones.

    If tuition is covered, school is a solid move. Just treat it as a supplement, not the main event. The market will teach you faster than a classroom ever will. 

  • Bo SmithPro Member
    Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 1k+ posts · 375 votes
    8mo

    Respect for starting at 19 after service. Urban Studies + finance is actually killer for development - you'd spot emerging areas before other investors catch on. Leaning more toward residential or commercial development?

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