2026 cohort — at capacity 2027 applications open January 15 — notify me
AREAA EDGE — the EDGE
AREAA EDGE / Mentorship Program

A community that took the time to know you.

A one-year mentorship for AAPI real estate professionals stepping into bigger roles.

EDGE is a one-year mentorship program for AAPI real estate professionals. We interview every mentee, mentor, and committee member personally — and once you're in, you're in for life.

Notify me when 2027 opens Why EDGE works → How it works
The 2026 group

Meet the mentors.

Past and current AREAA National Presidents, national officers, chapter leaders, and senior people across real estate, mortgage, and finance — coaching the next generation, one mentee at a time.

Randy CharRandy Char James HuangJames Huang Jeff NeedhamJeff Needham Kurt NishimuraKurt Nishimura Melissa SofiaMelissa Sofia Jamie TianJamie Tian Tom TruongTom Truong Ace WatanasuparpAce Watanasuparp Justin WongJustin Wong Soo YuSoo Yu
See all 10 mentors
Where we are right now

The 2026 group is mid-year.

We paired mentees with mentors in April. Workshops are running through August. Capstones wrap in September, and everyone graduates together at the AREAA National Convention in October. The next application window opens January 15, 2027.

Notify me when 2027 applications open
10 mentors a year (we'll add a seat for the right person)
~20 mentees, each one interviewed
12 mo together, convention to convention
∞ alumni — once you're in, you're in
Find your path

Three ways into EDGE.

We interview for every path. Once you're in, you're part of the alumni community for life.

01 — Mentee

Apply for the group.

You're an active real estate professional with your eye on AREAA leadership. Applications open mid-January; we reveal mentee–mentor pairings in April.

See the mentee path 02 — Mentor

Join the mentor group.

Ten seats. Past AREAA presidents, senior chapter leaders, and industry executives. Returning mentors get first option; we recruit any open seats at National Convention.

See the mentor path 03 — Committee

Serve on the committee.

The committee runs the program day-to-day — Relationship Counselors, interviewers, and social-media leads. Many start as mentees and stay on after they graduate.

See the committee path
What EDGE is

What a year in EDGE actually looks like.

Four principles. One year together. A network for the rest of your career.

E — Empower

You stay in

Once you've earned your spot — as mentor, mentee, or committee — you're part of EDGE for life. No re-application, no renewal fee.

D — Develop

Your growth, your way

Each mentee picks what they want to work on — business, AREAA leadership, the personal stuff — and their mentor walks alongside them through the year.

G — Give

You give something back

Every mentee finishes the year with a capstone — a contribution to AREAA, a leadership essay, a video testimonial. Something for the program, not just for yourself.

E — Elevate

Mentors grow too

The way we match pairs, mentors come out sharper, broader, and more connected across the group. It runs both ways.

The promise

We take the time to know you. We invest in you. We stay in touch.

Ten mentors a year. Interviews at every level. Workshops only for alumni. All of it for one reason — being part of EDGE means being part of a community that did the work to actually know who you are.

2027 applications

Open January 15, 2027.

Drop your email below and we'll send you one message the day applications open. That's it — not a newsletter, not a marketing list.

Want to read the program details meanwhile? See how EDGE works or read the FAQ.