#TurksandCaicos, December 2, 2022 – Round one of the Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association’s Mentorship Program came to a close this past weekend with an afternoon of powerful presentations and a fitting celebration.

On Saturday, November 26^th, the inaugural class returned to where it all began – the TCREA Head Office – this time flanked by family, faculty, and media. Smartly dressed as Junior Realtors, the mentees delivered final presentations to the program’s mentors and guests.

Showing a perfect range of variety, the teens displayed their mock Realtor biographies and a sales pitch on a pre-selected real estate listing. There was a show of presentations on vacant land, single homes, and condos, all placed on the big screen for viewing while the teens made use of their newly adopted real estate jargon and shared their listings’ best attributes with the room.

“Watching these bright minds deliver their presentations was a proud moment,” shared program mentor Nina Siegenthaler of Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s. “There was genuine excitement, and they showed just how much they have learned and retained over these past few months. She continued, “It has been a fulfilling experience sharing the industry with them, and I’m delighted that one or more of them may now consider real estate as an option for their future career.”

Launched by TCREA Ambassador Trevor Musgrove, the mentorship program aims to allow high-school and first-year college students to explore real estate through live mentorship sessions with premier industry experts in Turks and Caicos.

Participation was open to all islands, and the inaugural class was comprised of ten enthusiastic students from Providenciales and North Caicos: Dashawn Brooks and Alyssa Callum of Clement Howell High; Olique Stubbs, Lewis Walkin, Jr. of Raymond Gardiner High; Aniyah Bovie of Precious Treasures; Shamya Missick of Maranatha Academy; Pavla Lalakova and Andino Parker of British West Indies Collegiate; Abnise Noel, Antoine Gedeon of Louise Garland Thomas High.

Along with Siegenthaler, the teens had monthly access to Blair MacPherson of REMAX; Manfred Smith of Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s; Vernica Delancy and Dedra Gray of Keller Williams; and Sean O’Neill, Musgrove’s partner The Agency Turks & Caicos.

Asked how he felt about the program’s start, Musgrove said, “Overall, I could not have asked for a better outcome.  The excitement from both the mentors and the mentees has been amazing to see. We started this initiative to give something of ourselves and our industry to these young men and women, but they have also enriched us.” Reflecting on the program’s journey, the Director had one small point of dissatisfaction, “My only wish is that we had seen applications from students in the other islands well. The Ministry of Education has shown us how serious they are in extending the support needed. Because of it, the students from North Caicos had the transportation and chaperone necessary to facilitate their participation. We would love to see students from all the islands take advantage of the access so that we can share this opportunity with them all.”

The program has exposed the teens to the technical and practical sides of the profession. Terminology, securing a listing, marketing, selling a listing, professional etiquette, and following a strict code of ethics have all been shared with them. The program’s highlight was the open house exercise, which gave the mentees an opportunity for a real-time showing of a luxury oceanfront villa in Long Bay to a group of mock buyers, including the Minister of Education, Honourable Rachel Taylor.

“To watch this program materialize and grow has been an exceptional experience. These are the opportunities our school leavers need to know are out there, and I applaud Mr. Musgrove and his committee for doing their part in exposing our young men and women to this flourishing industry that is available to them right here in our islands,” said Honourable Taylor. She added, “I had the pleasure of visiting several sessions and was an inch away from buying a villa from the very bright and persuasive Andino Parker at the open house. The energy and excitement from the students were all the testament necessary to confirm that this was a much-needed, fresh opportunity that many will be delighted to take advantage of.”

The Ministry of Education has previously shared that the program aligns perfectly with the new Youth Policy, which incorporates 7 Pillars. Pillar 1 focuses on Enhancing Youth Economic Participation and Economic Empowerment. Both the association and the Ministry hope that this mentorship opportunity will result in more Turks and Caicos islanders becoming interested in joining this thriving sector, aiding in its sustainability, and opening other doors to local entrepreneurship.

TCREA Ambassador Musgrove expressed his gratitude to the real estate association for sanctioning the program and his colleagues for dedicating their time to mentoring the participants, “I can’t thank everyone enough for the support this program has received. I am grateful to the TCREA Board of Directors for giving the program the green light and to Honourable Rachel Taylor and her team for their support and presence throughout the program. I must extend special thanks to my colleagues for sharing their time and knowledge and to SOS Media for the public relations and social media support. Most of all, I am humbled by the community’s feedback and encouragement. I am ready to return to work for round two of the program.”

Certificates of participation and appreciation were presented to Mentees and Mentors by Musgrove, who also shared his thanks to the Media for their support throughout the life of the program. Saturday’s close-out ended with a celebratory lunch sponsored and hosted by Big Al’s Island Grill in The Salt Mills, Grace Bay.

Another ten spots will be available for the program’s 2^nd round, which begins in January 2023. Interested parents and students are encouraged to look out for the invitation for applicants in December 2022 and to follow the TCREA Mentorship Program’s Facebook page for information and updates.

Release: TCREA