- Published date:
- 01 July 2026
Strong careers are rarely built alone. Whether it's sharing experiences, building confidence or opening up new perspectives, mentoring can play an important role in helping people navigate their careers and develop meaningful connections across the industry.
As another successful RE:Futures Mentorship Programme comes to a close, we caught up with mentor Rob Wall, Assistant Director of Policy at Real Estate:UK, and mentee Dora Thorne, Sustainability Consultant at JLL, to hear about their experience. Read what they had to tell us below:
❓ What motivated you to take part in this mentorship programme, and what were you hoping it would make possible for you?
Dora: I wanted to connect with wider sustainability professionals within real estate, particularly those with more experience. I work within a very young team and was looking for opportunities to meet more experienced individuals. I was hoping it would connect me with someone I could reach out to, who could share their thoughts and experience on how to shape and navigate a career, and who could help me challenge my way of thinking. I also hoped they could connect me with wider sustainability professionals in the industry.
Rob: I’ve benefited from mentoring programmes in the past, and wanted to give something back, if that’s not too cheesy! I work in the sustainability space, and was hoping to be matched with someone who has a personal or professional interest in the subject, to understand how the next generation of property leaders view sustainability. With Dora, I got both!
❓ Before joining the programme, what barriers or doubts did you face about progressing in your career, and has your perspective shifted since?
Dora: I think this splits into two parts.
Firstly, I'm four years into my career, having joined JLL on a graduate scheme. Up until then, every step of my 'career' had been planned: go to school, get a degree, join a graduate scheme and start a career. But once I finished my graduate scheme, I was suddenly hit with the realisation that the next steps aren't structured and that they're open for me to work out and plan. Yet, I wasn't sure how to suddenly take control of my own career growth or how to begin.
When attending career development sessions, there's often an emphasis on finding a mentor - someone who has experience and can share their insights. I hadn't yet found that organically and was feeling as though I was missing this. I also felt that lots of my networking and industry events had enabled me to grow and connect with many people within real estate, but actually very few were in sustainability-centred roles. This combination had resulted in me feeling less confident in my career plan and suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the vision for my future career.
However, this mentorship (through conversations with my mentor and with other mentees) has made me realise that this is normal and that I'm not alone with this feeling.
❓ What responsibility do experienced leaders have in opening doors for others, and how does mentoring contribute to that?
Rob: I think experienced leaders have a huge responsibility to support the next generation. That said, I don't think mentoring is about opening doors - it's about sharing knowledge and experience, and giving your mentee the confidence to make their own informed choices.
❓ Can you share a moment from the mentoring partnership that had a lasting impact on your confidence, thinking or direction?
Dora: Within the first few weeks of being paired together, Rob invited me to the BPF Sustainability Conference. Not only was it a fantastic event focused on the key sustainability discussions shaping our industry, but it also gave me the opportunity to connect with other professionals.
The highlight was being invited to join a BPF Futures roundtable discussion as part of the conference.
I joined a group of people who were equally passionate about sustainability, and we spent the morning discussing market trends, emerging challenges and ideas for keeping sustainability at the forefront of the industry. Walking into a room full of strangers pushed me well outside my comfort zone, but it also made me realise I knew more than I gave myself credit for.
Since then, I've stayed connected with two people from that roundtable and we're now looking to organise another BPF roundtable during London Climate Action Week.
Rob also invited me to sit in on a BPF ESG Committee meeting in December, which was another brilliant opportunity to hear senior industry leaders discuss the challenges and opportunities they're facing. Joining the Christmas reception afterwards was an added bonus!
Rob: I found the roundtable with Dora and the other Futures members really valuable too. It was impressive to hear Dora and other young professionals speak so passionately and knowledgeably about sustainability. It also gave me a great insight into what matters most to the next generation when it comes to delivering sustainable buildings and places.
❓ What advice or insight from your mentor has stayed with you the most, and why did it resonate?
Dora: Networking with your own cohort is just as important, if not more so, than connecting with senior colleagues.
Rob challenged the common perception that networking is only valuable if you're speaking to the most senior people in the room. He highlighted how important it is to build relationships with your peers, because they'll grow alongside your career and become the people you'll work with, collaborate with and rely on in the future.
That completely changed my perspective. It took the pressure off networking and made it feel much more genuine and enjoyable.
❓ What have you learned through mentoring that you didn't expect when you first signed up?
Rob: Mentoring can actually increase your own self-awareness. Sharing your experiences, successes and even mistakes become a useful reflective exercise and helps you appreciate just how far you've come.
❓ In what ways has this programme helped you envision your future in the industry more clearly or ambitiously?
Dora: In some ways, it hasn't, but I don't mean that in a negative sense! My conversations with Rob and the people he's introduced me to have shown me just how broad sustainability careers can be. There are so many different roles and opportunities across the industry.
So, while my vision for the future isn't necessarily clearer, I feel much more excited about the possibilities ahead. One of the biggest things Rob has helped me realise is that it's okay not to have all the answers.
❓ Why do programmes like this matter for the long-term health and success of the sector?
Rob: If we want the very best people to build long and successful careers in our sector, then we need more programmes like this. They help build confidence, resilience, networks and lasting relationships, while showing that, whatever your background, you can have a rewarding career in real estate.
❓ If you were to describe the value of mentoring in one sentence, what would you say to someone considering getting involved?
Dora: It will open up more opportunities than you expect - you just won't know unless you give it a try.
Rob: It's a two-way process - You'll learn just as much from your mentee as they learn from you, and you might even enjoy it!
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