According to Cole McNew, he wasn’t looking for a new career. Real estate found him.
After a call he received while reevaluating life during pandemic times, McNew decided to parlay his credit union and mortgage lending experience into the career he was clearly destined for: real estate.
As McNew explains in this exclusive interview with RISMedia Executive Vice President Maria Patterson, the isolation of working remotely at the height of Covid “made you reevaluate what you were doing, your situation—I think it made us more open to taking chances and exploring something new.” Given his status as the Midwest Region winner of RISMedia’s 2024 Rookie of the Year contest, McNew clearly made the right decision.
Filmed during November’s NAR NXT in Boston, in this interview McNew explains how his commitment to serving clients and the community, hard work and passion fueled his first year in the business. But it’s McNew’s attitude that has perhaps been his most important secret weapon—not being afraid to fail, learning from his agent community, and not shying away from challenges.
A constant thirst for knowledge and a belief in staying humble are sure to keep McNew’s star rising.
“Humility is huge,” he says. “You either have a lot of success on the front end, or no success, and you have to hustle until you find success. Every single transaction is a different set of challenges. So stay humble through that process.”
Learn more about McNew’s standout rookie journey in this special interview, including:
1:16 Why not being afraid to fail shortens the learning curve and fast tracks success.
3:11 How initial stints at a credit union and then a nationwide lender paved the way for success in residential real estate
4:58 Lessons learned during Covid, and making the switch to real estate.
7:39 Why McNew says his brokers and managers are “150% the reason that I had success.”
9:14 How being in the office—not at home—every day helps grow McNew’s business.
11:13 McNew’s biggest challenge and how he overcame it.
13:56 Handling client concerns and fielding questions post NAR settlement—and the opportunities it presents.
17:29 McNew’s advice to rookie agents, and why he believes there’s no code to crack when it comes to succeeding in real estate.
About RISMedia’s annual Rookie of the Year award
Designed to honor real estate agents who are new to the business yet already achieving extraordinary levels of success, RISMedia’s third annual Real Estate Rookie of the Year award—sponsored by industry education leader, Colibri Real Estate—awarded five Regional Rookie of the Year winners for 2024. The national 2024 Rookie of the Year winner, Heather Stenson with Connect Realty, was revealed and awarded during RISMedia’s Power Broker Reception & Dinner on November 8 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nominations for RISMedia’s 2025 Rookie of the Year contest will open this June. Stay tuned to RISMedia.com for details.
