Insights from Colliers Brokers-in-Training: Tech, Mentorship, and Market Outlook
- tedscheid
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
Colliers | Columbus’ Brokers in Training (BITs) program is designed to develop the next generation of commercial real estate professionals through mentorship and education across multiple brokerage service lines. Colliers Columbus Research spoke with four rising brokers: Kendall Jameson (Office Services Group), Nash Linder (Industrial Services Group), Zach Zechman (Retail Capital Markets), and Mack Schlembach (Multifamily Capital Markets).
Technology that accelerates learning
Daily use of CRM systems and CoStar was highlighted as foundational for building market fluency—availability, comps, and client prep. AI was also cited as a way to increase efficiency, support research, and free up time for strategy and client work. Underwriting models, Excel, and Yardi Matrix were specifically referenced as tools that help speed analysis and keep focus on higher-value decisions.
Why each sector fits
The group shared distinct motivations: industrial shaped by early exposure to the business; office positioned at the intersection of real estate and long-term business strategy; retail framed through the lens of consumer behavior meeting fundamentals; multifamily tied to capital markets, value creation, and long-term trend analysis.
Mentorship and outlook in Columbus
Mentorship came through as a consistent theme—learning deal structure, gaining confidence, and navigating real-world challenges. The interviews also shared positive expectations across Columbus sectors, including comments on industrial stability, office quality polarization, retail fundamentals, and improving sentiment in multifamily investment sales.
