Belt Auction

Interview at commercial real estate firm?

I have an interview for an internship next week at a commercial real estate firm. How do I go about acing this interview? Is there anything I should be aware of before going into the lions den? Help me out! PS - I don't know a whole lot about real estate. My specialty is definitely the stock market. Do you think if I show I have a lot of drive and devotion, they'll still give me the internship?

Public Comments

1. The best advice is to not exert yourself to "ace" the interview and to keep on the quiet side and listen. If the firm is looking for an intern, then they need someone who is willing to learn and help out. As a matter of fact, nobody wants actual real estate advice from you. That's not why they hire interns ("The cash on cash numbers don't work for this shopping center-I'll ask the intern what he/she thinks."-not likely). So, listen to the job description, ask questions that are sincere (avoid "interview questions, like "How do you see the residential sub prime crisis affecting the commercial sector?" That doesn't impress and is annoying), and let them know you are a fast learner who wants to be trained on their system. Nothing stops an interview cold like a manager trying to explain what the job entails and getting interrupted every 2 minutes by an overzealous applicant "selling" themself. They are looking for a team player to lend a hand, so listen more than you talk and assure them that you are there to learn. That's the best way to ace the interview.