How to get into REPE out of undergrad

I’m a rising sophomore at a super non-target school with the ultimate goal of breaking into MF REPE. This summer, I’m interning at a small CRE development firm and have an audit internship lined up for next spring. I’m currently pursuing IB in a REGL group, then hoping to hop over to REPE after the banking stint. However,on LinkedIn and other stories on this forum, I’ve seen many people go from investment sales at a top brokerage like Eastdil, JLL, CBRE, then switch to MF REPE from there.

I’m wondering if the traditional investment banking route is even worth pursuing if my goal can be achieved through other paths. Should i pursue an internship at a top brokerage next summer, then leverage that for an REPE internship my junior year summer and get a return offer? Thanks