The Arizona Association of REALTORS®, the largest trade association in Arizona representing more than 57,000 Arizona REALTORS®, has teamed up with W. P. Carey and its Division of Real Estate at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business to launch the ASU/Arizona Association of REALTORS® Professional Salesperson Mentoring Program.
This first-of-its-kind program will help ASU students who are pursuing a minor in real estate or a Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) learn more about the licensed real estate profession by increasing their professional skills while advancing their careers in real estate.
Made up of two components, classroom education and mentoring, the program will support the professional development of students by providing them with advice, assistance and guidance during the 2022-2023 school year.
“Mentorship is an important part of growth in the real estate field, and our REALTOR® professionals are dedicated to providing ASU students with the tools and experience for success,” says Michelle Lind, Of Counsel for the Arizona REALTORS®. “We are thrilled to work with ASU on this professional development program and to support our future leaders.”
Starting in September, 12 students will participate in the 90-minute monthly educational sessions hosted by members of the Arizona Association of REALTORS®. Topics will include market research and local area knowledge, ethics and legal framework when representing clients, presentation skills and professional conduct and negotiation skills, among others.
In addition, each student will pair with an experienced REALTOR® mentor who will help them identify career interests and provide valuable mentoring activities such as practice interviews, job shadowing, resume review and more. Both mentors and students must follow a list of responsibilities and expectations to ensure a successful professional relationship.
According to Mark Stapp, Fred E. Taylor Professor in Real Estate and director of the MRED program, the ASU/Arizona Association of REALTORS® Professional Salesperson Mentoring Program is a non-degree, non-credit curriculum maintained by ASU. “The program’s primary mission is to supplement ASU’s successful real estate programs and to expand upon the REALTORS® existing programs for its members,” he said. “In addition to providing learning and career opportunities for our students, the program will foster dialogue between industry professionals, academics and students wanting to advance their knowledge and expertise about real estate.”
