Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.
Finding the right mentor in real estate can be the most important decision of your career. Whether you’re getting day-to-day advice from them or just checking in during times of high intensity, practical insights arriving at the perfect moment from someone who’s seen it all before? That’s priceless.

Inman talks to some of the industry’s heaviest heavyweights, so we asked: If you had five minutes with one of real estate’s biggest names, what specific problem would you ask them to solve? Would you look for advice on scale and growth? Branding and marketing? Work-life balance? Do you have a challenging client or colleague you need some help managing? Here’s what you said:
- When you hired your first assistant, what three positive outcomes surprised you the most? (Not just the obvious “they saved me time,” but the real shifts it created in your business or life.)
- What are areas where you have overspent with no return?
- What strategies have worked best for you through the years for obtaining listings, and how has that evolved over time?
- What marketing tools and methods do you find to be the most successful currently?
- How do you raise consumer awareness and trust in yourself to win a chance to pitch for a listing?
- Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to yourself in your first year of real estate?
- What’s your best piece of advice?
Editor’s note: These responses were given anonymously and, therefore, are not attributed to anyone specifically. Responses were also edited for grammar and clarity. Inman doesn’t endorse any specific method and regulations may vary from state to state.
What did we miss? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.