Zach Rines is a student at The University of Cincinnati studying Business Administration, Finance and Real Estate. He is currently interning with Colliers | Columbus on Ben Johnson’s brokerage team after interning on Grant Chaney’s brokerage team this summer. Keep reading to get Zach’s take on how his internship has helped him grow in his career.
Has your internship allowed you to network with other real estate professionals? If so, in what ways?
Yes, definitely! Since I am in Columbus one day a week and spend the rest of my time in Cincinnati, I have tried to get a coffee/lunch meeting with someone involved in the CRE industry each time I am here. I wish I had more time in Columbus, but hopefully that will come down the road. Networking has arguably been my main focus during my internship as I believe that meeting with people who are certainly a lot smarter than I am is the best way to learn, get advice, and potentially see what mistakes they have made or regrets they had to warn me about. The vast majority of these meetings have come in the morning before or at the start of the workday, but that isn’t the only way to get to know people of course! Attending events in the area is phenomenal to get to know many of my peers/coworkers better.
What has been your favorite project to work on throughout your time at Colliers?
I haven’t really disliked anything I have been asked to do honestly. I think my favorite thing has just been cold calling for the brokers I’ve worked for the past two semesters. Being able to gain confidence over time and see clear improvement in my approach and technique makes me want to keep doing it. Other things that pop into my head as fun projects are writing a mid-year research report on retail investment sales for Grant Chaney, going on tours with Ben Johnson and seeing how he handles himself, and eavesdropping on brokers’ conversations (with permission of course!) to learn from them.
What has been the biggest learning lesson you will take away from this internship?
That I am super passionate about real estate and brokerage in particular. I can’t wait to get started! The idea of competition day in and day out, strategy, and just how much fun it is makes me want to do it every day. Everyone I have talked to is super nice and almost always willing to help me out and introduce me to others. Looking forward to graduating and enjoying the last few months of college before entering the industry!
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