Switching Careers to Real Estate?

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.

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.

Another highlight of my experience involves the academic curriculum at Owen.  Because the “Mod system” is flexible, first year students are able to take electives early in their MBA education.  I have been able to take three real estate classes this spring– Real Estate Financial Analysis, Real Estate Investment and Development, and Real Estate Finance & Capital Markets.  Also, two of the classes are taught by actual real estate practitioners who offer unique perspectives on real estate career paths.  Additionally, through these classes, I received training on two software applications instrumental to commercial real estate professionals – ARGUS Valuation and CoStar.

This spring I was also able to compete with a team of students at the 2011 Real Estate Challenge case competition at UNC Chapel Hill.  Competing against top schools from across the country, we presented a redevelopment plan for a site that included the abandoned Central Train Station in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Overall, my exposure to and excitement about a career in real estate have only been strengthened through my experiences at Owen this past year.  If you have questions about Real Estate at Owen, please reach out to me at .