Isenberg Real Estate Fund Hosts Educational Series

The Isenberg Real Estate Fund (IREF)—a student-run commercial real estate group—wrapped up its Fall 2024 Virtual Insights Series Nov. 3. Over five weeks, students attended webinars that explored innovative pathways for kickstarting careers in real estate. With the support of industry alumni, the series covered topics such as opportunities in commercial real estate, professional development, the investment process, underwriting, and strategies for becoming a first-time investor.

Previously known as the Isenberg Real Estate Advisors (IREA), the group was founded in 2019 by a cohort of undergraduate students who wanted to create an organization focused on commercial real estate, particularly in the field of pro-bono consulting to private clients with commercial real estate needs.

“The fall’s series was received very well by students,” said President Noah George, senior finance major, noting that 20 to 30 students attended each session. “Many members actively involved in real estate attended, as well as a mix of students looking to learn. We were given some great feedback by graduate and undergraduate students, especially with our guest speaker lessons.”

The kick-off event was held Oct. 6, and attendees heard about the various career paths in the real estate industry. The second week focused on professional development and featured guest speakers David Schachter ’20 of New York City-based Vornado Realty Trust, who was a founder of the IREF during his time at Isenberg, and Connor Bear ’16 of Boston-based GID; both Isenberg alumni talked about what full-time roles in the industry really look like.

Attendees during the third week learned about IREF’s investment process, from identifying promising opportunities to executing successful deals.

Week four focused on commercial real estate underwriting strategies, from building assumptions to estimating returns. The session provided a detailed look into the tools and techniques used by industry professionals to assess risk, project returns, and make informed investment decisions.

The fifth and final session of the series, held Nov. 3, covered a range of investment opportunities, including real estate investment trusts, general and limited partnerships, house flipping, house hacking, syndications, and more. The guest speakers—Steeve Breton, president of Boston-based Velocity Capital and Jack Watson ’21, real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Realty—also discussed the pros and cons of each option as well as the capital requirements to get started.

THE BIG APPLE AND NEXT UP

Last week, IREF members visited the real estate hub of the world—New York City—where they learned from industry experts and gained deeper insights into the real estate market.

As for future planning, George said, “we have our real estate networking conference on Dec. 20, and next semester, we plan on beginning a real estate alumni mentor program to connect students with UMass alumni in the real estate industry.”

The annual UMass Real Estate Networking Conference will be held Friday, Dec. 20, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the UMass Club, One Beacon St., 32nd floor, Boston. The conference will feature engaging industry discussions led by keynote speakers, capstone presentations highlighting the achievements of the Isenberg Real Estate Fund, and an awards ceremony to recognize excellence in real estate. The event is open to all professionals and students with an interest in real estate.  

Lorraine U. Martinelle ’97 is content manager in the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management’s Marketing and Communications office. Submit story ideas to lmartinelle@isenberg.umass.edu.