Submitted by Jill Jamieson-Nichols, Colorado Real Estate Journal
After launching its Careers in Commercial Real Estate pilot program in November, NAIOP Colorado took the program to the University of Denver the afternoon of Jan. 21.
NAIOP Colorado teamed up with the University of Denver Real Estate and Construction Management Club to present the program to 23 DU students, offering roundtable discussions on commercial real estate development, architecture, ownership, brokerage, finance and entitlement/due diligence.
Most student participants who responded to a survey about the event said it helped them decide in which area to focus their career, and all said they would recommend it to other students.
Questions revolved around the instability of the credit market and career searches. One industry professional urged DU students to “network like crazy” and focus more on getting started in the industry than on a specific role.
MacKenzie House served as the development partner for the event, providing insight into the process of developing its Asbury Green student housing project, including hurdles that had to be overcome – like removal of 12 inches of soil from the site. The 171-unit, 350-bed LEED Silver development is under construction near the campus at East Asbury Avenue and Josephine Street.
The Careers in Commercial Real Estate program is part of a NAIOP Colorado effort to reach out to Colorado university students as they look forward to beginning careers in commercial real estate. The program provides students with the opportunity to explore the commercial real estate industry through interactive dialog. The roundtable discussions are led by veteran commercial real estate professionals and members of the Developing Leaders program.
Helping make the DU program a success were: Pete Tobin, Charlie Davis, Frank Kelley, T.J. Johnson, Todd Grover, Sara Croot, Greg Kelly, J.D. Praeger, Patty Gage and Tim Yeager.
Check out the Student Participants’ Resumes: Click Here
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