As a new college grad with an interest in commercial real estate, why don’t you try applying for entry level positions with some of the major commercial real estate services companies? You would probably need to live in a major market (as opposed to a small town), but working for a large commercial real estate services company will give you exposure to many different fields in the industry.

Take a look at the job listings for CB Richard Ellis, Jones Lang LaSalle, Cushman & Wakefield, Grubb & Ellis to get a feel for what I mean. You would want to focus on titles like “analyst”, “assistant property manager”, or anything with the word “associate” in the title. If you send me an Email with where you want to live, I will tell you if I know of any other major companies operating in that market.

There is no way you will survive unless you have lots of connections, your friends are business owners and you are part of the club. The club sticks together, you will not be successful unless you are in and trusted.