By Antonio Gutierrez
UT San Antonio’s Embrey Real Estate Finance and Development Program gives students a leg up in working in the CRE industry.
If you’re a business major at UT San Antonio and not yet sure what major to declare or career to pursue, it’s definitely worth looking into the Embrey Real Estate Finance and Development Program in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, where you can earn an undergraduate and graduate degree in the exciting world of commercial real estate.
“Students pursuing a degree in commercial real estate benefit from numerous mentorship opportunities that foster real-world experience and help them establish industry connections prior to graduation,” said Laura Gilliland, Assistant Director of the Embrey Real Estate Finance and Development Program.
Mentorship, she added, includes being taken under the guidance of experienced commercial real estate professionals throughout San Antonio, as well as opportunities to get involved with local commercial real estate organizations, such as Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), the Real Estate Council of San Antonio (RECSA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Certified Commercial Industry Members (CCIM).
“Mentorship is a huge part of our program,” Gilliland said, “and the relationships we have with the commercial real estate industry in San Antonio are such a wonderful advantage we have because so many of them are willing to mentor students. Our advisory board, known as the Founders Council, is composed of 25 companies and individuals that support our program. These industry leaders are active in the program, often guest lecturing and mentoring students to develop the industry-relevant skills that empower them to succeed outside the classroom.” Currently, about 200 undergraduate and 30 graduate students are enrolled in the Embrey REFD Program, which started in 2008, Gilliland said.
Other professional development opportunities that students can benefit from include a semester-long roundtable series, where industry professionals meet with students in informal weekly sessions to explore diverse career opportunities in the industry. The program also hosts a Professional Organization Speed-Networking event each semester, bringing top commercial real estate organizations to campus to introduce students to their missions and opportunities. “We stress the importance of getting involved with professionals and organizations because it’s equally important to have a strong academic background and to start building your network while you’re still in school,” Gilliland said.
Christi Griggs is a Senior Vice President with CBRE, who holds a CCIM designation and is a past president and board member. She has participated in career days and also been a judge of the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business Real Estate Finance and Development capstone course, in which students have real project development experience, with the winning team receiving the CCIM-John Vogel Award.
“The connectivity between UTSA and real estate professionals actively in the market is key to the college experience and success in integration into the professional realm,” she said. “It is a program I find very valuable and personally passionate about being a UTSA graduate and active CCIM member.”
“Many of our graduates choose to remain in San Antonio, which is great for our city, and they are going into diverse fields such as finance and investment, development, property management, and brokerage,” Gilliland said.
For more information, visit https://business.utsa.edu/embrey-program/
