Answer extracted from the Commercially Speaking Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How should someone with no connections break into commercial real estate as a career in their 20s?
Start by understanding the different career paths available in commercial real estate—broker, investor, developer, property manager, or asset manager. Then join a collaborative team with high transaction volume rather than trying to build from scratch alone; even at the lower levels, you'll gain educational reps and sustainable cash flow while learning the business.
Education and pathways matter first
Most people break into commercial real estate through relationships, but if you lack those connections, understanding the different roles available becomes your entry point. Commercial real estate isn't one path—it's multiple: brokerage, investment, development, property management, asset management, and others. Knowing which aligns with your interests and skills shapes everything that follows.
Education doesn't mean sitting in a classroom. As discussed in the Commercially Speaking Podcast episode, it means getting real experience in a real team environment where transactions are happening regularly.
Join a high-volume team, not a boutique firm alone
The critical difference is scale. A collaborative team with many transactions teaches you through doing: each deal is an educational rep, and you're building knowledge in real time. Even if you're low on the organizational totem pole, you're still gaining practical education and generating sustainable cash flow.
A boutique firm is riskier if you have no network. You'll either need to create an official team arrangement internally, or bring immediate value—social media marketing, AI skills, legal knowledge, design—rather than purely being trained at the firm's expense. Without relationships or a clear contribution, a small firm has less incentive to invest heavily in you.
Access knowledge and opportunity is really what we focus on at the Black Foundation.
Daymond Kirby — Founder, Black Foundation. Born on an Army post in Panama and raised in Michigan and Arizona, Kirby started his commercial real estate career in June 2020 and earned his CCIM designation by 2023. He founded the Black Foundation, a 501c3 private foundation dedicated to creating career pathways for minorities and veterans in commercial real estate, currently operating in Tennessee with plans to expand into Arizona.
To understand how foundational education and structured mentorship reshape early careers in commercial real estate, listen to the full episode on Listenly for deeper insights into building a sustainable foundation in the field.
See also
What are the main objectives and operational model of a commercial real estate investment foundation serving minorities and veterans?
The Black Foundation is a 501c3 private foundation focused on providing career pathways to minorities and veterans into commercial real estate, removing systemic barriers to entry in the industry.
Key takeaways
- Understand the multiple career paths in commercial real estate before choosing your entry point—broker, investor, developer, property manager, or asset manager.
- Join a team executing many transactions rather than starting alone; high volume means more educational reps and faster learning under real conditions.
- If joining a smaller firm, bring concrete value—marketing skills, AI expertise, or technical knowledge—rather than expecting pure training investment from the business.
- Sustainable income and knowledge building go hand in hand; avoid situations where you're only draining resources without contributing to the firm's bottom line.