Finding and maintaining a mentor is a wonderful and usually necessary part of building a real estate business, as having someone to help guide you onto the right path is always beneficial. However, many seeking mentorship often do not know how to approach the situation and relationship, and often make mistakes that can push away a potential or existing adviser. To help you avoid making the same mistakes, we have compiled the most common mistakes new real estate business owners make.

Not Building a Relationship First

Seeking a mentor and asking them upon your first meeting if they would be willing to mentor you parallels with proposing on the first date. Without a solid, preexisting relationship, why would the other party even consider such an offer? It is completely necessary to first build a strong relationship with whoever you desire to be your adviser before asking them, which may be difficult as many successful people are often busy. If they are indeed busy, consider offering them some sort of value for their time, which does not necessarily have to be money. When finding the right mentor, just be sure to establish a concrete relationship before asking.

Expecting them to be Your Coach

Expecting your mentor to act as your coach is unreasonable, and will often drive them away quickly. A coach, while lending their services to support and encourage you, is largely based on seeing results as opposed to nurturing and encouraging your own business. Coaches are there to push you, and help you succeed in a certain goal as fast as possible, while a mentor is there as more of a reliable resource for experienced advice and guidance. Do not expect a mentor to push you, as that is not their purpose. If you want a coach, invest in a coach.

Refusing to be Honest With Yourself

The most important qualities in a mentee include vulnerability, commitment, and self-awareness. These traits make for a humble yet hungry subject that is capable of being completely transparent with their mentor, and willing to work on areas of themselves and their business that need work. Be sure you are being honest with yourself in your traits and characteristsic, and try to work on being more open.

You Lack Clear Goals

When seeking an advisor, it is important to know exactly what it is that you wish to do. For example, if you have no experience in land developing, your mentor will probably have little to no interest in offering their services in an area that you are inexperienced and unknowledgeable in. A good way to know you are ready for a mentor is asking yourself where you want to be in 1, 3 and 5 years, and only if you are absolutely sure where you want to be should you contact a mentor. There is no reason to waste both their and your time if you are unclear on your goals.
Hopefully, this has helped you become more aware of what a good mentee looks like, and how to avoid the mistakes those before you have made when seeking a mentor. Try to understand that each adviser was once in your position, and remember that they do not owe you anything unless you agree together on it. As long as you keep in mind these 4 points, finding and keeping a mentor should be much easier.