Every great career in commercial real estate starts with a decision to hustle.
For Jazz Gunn, that drive started long before he put on a suit. Coming from a background in basketball, cooking, and serving, Jazz realized early on that he wanted a career where his income was directly tied to how hard he worked. That realization led him to sales, and eventually to a massive goal. He wanted to learn the mechanics of commercial real estate so he could one day build and invest in a large-scale sports community across the Midwest.
Knowing what you want is one thing. Breaking into a highly competitive industry is another.
Today, we are thrilled to welcome Jazz back to MDL Group as a full-time Associate focusing on commercial sales and leasing in Las Vegas. But his journey is a masterclass in persistence, proving that sometimes the best way to get your foot in the door is to knock until they let you in.
How do you get a commercial real estate internship?
Jazz did not just walk into a job offer. He faced rejection first.
He applied to all the major national brokerages. One firm offered him a role as an agent right away, but the timing was not right for him. He asked for an internship instead and they told him no three separate times. That string of rejections happened right before the UNLV Career Fair.
Determined to find the right fit, Jazz sat at every single booth at the fair. He eventually started talking to another major firm, explaining that he did not want to just take classes, he wanted a real internship. They pointed him toward Shawn McCoy. Shawn introduced him to Jarrad Katz, who invited Jazz to tour the MDL Group office.
Jarrad loved his energy but told him the final step was interviewing with our CEO, Hayim Mizrachi. Jazz did not wait for the phone to ring. He actively pursued Hayim and his assistant many times before finally landing the internship.
What is the day-to-day reality of commercial real estate?
Before officially starting, Jazz had the same assumption most college students have about commercial real estate. He thought it was going to be a ruthless, cutthroat environment built entirely around sitting at a desk and cold calling for eight hours a day.
The reality of the job was completely different.
Instead of being chained to a desk, he found himself constantly on the move. Between networking luncheons, grabbing coffee with clients, attending industry events, walking properties, and canvassing neighborhoods, Jazz was easily hitting 10,000 steps a day.
More importantly, the cutthroat environment he feared did not exist at MDL Group. He found an incredibly collaborative culture. Rather than hiding their strategies, the senior agents proactively shared their experiences. They even shared their mistakes so Jazz could learn from them without having to make the same errors himself.
How does a brokerage firm build a culture of mentorship?
Internships are only valuable if you are doing real work. For Jazz, the most impactful moments were watching the strategic side of the business unfold in real-time.
He recalled a specific situation where the team was struggling to lease a difficult project. Instead of just pushing the existing spaces harder, Hayim utilized a creative vision. He advised the client to actually move an existing tenant to a different suite to improve functionality and cost, ultimately unlocking the property’s potential so the rest of the project could be leased.
But mentorship also means pushing people out of their comfort zones. For Jazz, his biggest unexpected challenge was talking on the phone. The brokerage team did not let him hide from it. They made him make more calls and leave more voicemails until the fear lessened over time.
What is it like transitioning from intern to licensed Associate?
By the end of the summer, Jazz knew he wanted to turn this into his full-time career. It was the attitude of the office that sealed the deal. Everyone was motivated, excited for each other’s wins, and dedicated to building a genuine sense of community.
After completing the licensing process on his own, Jazz returned to MDL Group. The transition from intern to Associate is intense.
“I am drinking from a firehose,” Jazz noted, describing the massive amount of learning happening every day. But he is not doing it alone. Upon joining, leadership provided him with a structured 30-day timeline of expectations. Hayim consistently pulls him into calls, keeps him involved in property tours, and keeps his office door open for questions.
What advice does Jazz have for future Interns?
Now that he is on the other side of the desk, Jazz has a clear perspective on the internship experience. Looking back, he wishes he had known on his first day that there was no reason to be nervous. He realized quickly that even presidents and CEOs are happy to answer thoughtful questions from an eager intern.
His advice to anyone on the fence about commercial real estate is simple. Try it.
The industry rumors about unpaid grinds and cutthroat offices can be terrifying. But when you get into a supportive environment, see how the deals actually come together, and start talking to the people moving the market, it is entirely worth the leap.
Please join us in officially welcoming Jazz Gunn back to the MDL Group family!
