ALL POSTS BY: Lewis Agnew

For some of us, business school is an opportunity not only to learn new skills but also to re-direct our professional tracks.  I came to Owen to switch career paths from consulting engineering to real estate development, a change which seems well within my reach after just one year at Owen.

Pinnacle Building

My first step was to join the Owen Real Estate Club, an organization comprised of students whose exposure to real estate varied from zero to extensive.  The Club brings in professionals from around the country to talk about their experiences, provides networking events, coordinates critical skill building seminars and training sessions, and organizes outings around town to check out real estate development in action.  For example, early last fall, the club organized a property tour of the newest office tower in downtown Nashville, the Pinnacle Building.  After touring the property, we listened to a presentation that detailed the lease negotiations between the developer and anchor tenant.

Contacts I made through the club helped me secure a year-long internship with a local real estate investment and development firm.  The job is part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer, and has been a valuable learning opportunity for someone without a professional background in real estate.