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Real Estate Club recap of Vulcan Real Estate Wayfarer Property Tour

The University of Washington Real Estate Club recently went on a tour of Vulcan Real Estate’s brand new “Wayfarer” multifamily property. Located at 1000 E Yesler Way, Wayfarer is a luxury apartment complex with an eye-catching design philosophy that blends together modern and vintage designs. 20% of the units are designated to be affordable.

The tour was led by Mike Woo, a senior development manager at Vulcan. In addition to giving students a comprehensive tour of the property,  he provided the students with valuable insights into the development process and design decisions. Mike also shared about Vulcan’s impact on bringing the past and present of Seattle together into a community.

As the tour wrapped up, Mike surprised the students with some Vulcan merch for coming along on the tour, most notably of which included ten Seahawks-signed footballs! The students would like to once again thank Mike and Vulcan for such an educational experience. Join UW’s Real Estate Club for more tours just like this one and for so much more including speaker panels and networking events.

Shared by Finnegan Syrie, Real Estate Club Communications Chair

2024-25 Ferguson Fellow Audrey Ochner

As a fellow at the Ferguson Center for Leadership Excellence, I have had the privilege of participating in the Leadership Academy, which offers a range of opportunities, including personalized coaching sessions, webinars focused on both technical and soft skills, and valuable career development resources. A key aspect of the program is the tuition assistance provided, which supports our journey towards completing our undergraduate degrees.

Through the fellowship, I have greatly benefited from one-on-one coaching sessions that focus on goal-setting and execution.The chance to connect with industry mentors has also been invaluable, allowing me to build meaningful relationships within the real estate sector. I am able to work closely with the entire Ferguson CLE team, to track my academic progress and effectively plan my post-graduate endeavors.

Beyond the academic support, the fellowship fosters connections with other fellows from across the nation. Collaborating with peers has broadened my perspectives and insights to current industry trends.

Throughout the program, the Ferguson Center has ensured that their core values of integrity, leadership and equity are clearly demonstrated and incorporated into every aspect of the program. This fellowship has not only challenged me to strive for excellence, but has also provided the support and resources to help me become the best version of myself.

Student Profile: Ciara Laney

Ciara Laney, a spirited fourth-year student, stood at a pivotal moment when she received the Runstad Department of Real Estate Fund for Student Support (2023-4). This scholarship, bestowed by the Runstad Department of Real Estate ignited Ciara’s path toward a brighter future.

Overflowing with gratitude, Ciara vowed to make the most of her college experience. As a full-time student, she balanced her academic pursuits with part-time work, ensuring her college expenses were covered. She is from Lynnwood, Washington, and is the third oldest out of eight children, seven girls and one boy. Previously, Ciara clocked in four days a week, eight-hour shifts—until the scholarship allowed her to scale back to just two days. This shift granted her precious extra time, which she now spends bonding with her family and cultivating meaningful friendships.

Ciara’s impact extends beyond textbooks and lecture halls. As the Undergraduate President of the Real Estate Club, an AIAS Mentor, and a First-Year Interest Group leader, she champions aspiring students to explore the Real Estate Major. Her dedication transformed the Real Estate Club, making it more inclusive for undergraduates and women. Last year, only three out of nine club leaders were female, but Ciara’s relentless efforts paid off—now, half of the Real Estate Club leadership comprises women. She works tirelessly to find ways to represent underrepresented groups.

But Ciara’s story doesn’t end there. She is a double major studying Architectural Design. This dual focus enriches her skill set and broadens her perspective in the industry. In winter 2024, Ciara’s journey took an exciting turn. She collaborated with six graduate students in the NAIOP Real Estate Development competition, gaining invaluable experience. She was able to utilize her architectural design skills and draft floor plans while learning more about real-time financial analysis in the downtown Seattle market. The opportunity to work alongside MSRE students was an honor she won’t soon forget.

Ciara landed her first internship last summer as a Project Engineer with BNBuilders. The real-world experience she will gain there was instrumental in shaping her understanding of real estate development.

Ciara’s tale is one of resilience, passion, and the transformative power of educational support. Her future shines bright, fueled by the scholarship that opened doors and the unwavering determination that propels her forward.

Eli Heller chosen as UW Advisor of the month

This summer our graduate advisor , Eli Heller, was chosen as the UW APAC (UW Association of Professional Advisers and Counselors) Advisor of the month. Eli’s nominator had this to say about him:

“Eli has brought so much positive energy to our college. His passion for career preparedness is unmatched. I really want to recognize and commend him for going above and beyond for three of his admitted students. Their home government required their admissions offers to be sealed with an apostille and so Eli drove to Olympia to the Washington Secretary of State’s office and took care of it for all three students. Literally going the extra mile (or 65.3 miles according to google maps) for his students.”

We are thrilled that Eli’s commitment to our students was recognized. He has done a tremendous job supporting over 350 undergrads and grads since he joined us in 2023. Please see below to learn more about him, this interview was posted on APAC’s facebook page in July. Congratulations Eli! The department is lucky to have you.

How long have you been on campus?

About 5 years – I started working as a career coach at the Career & Internship Center in September 2019.

What are some exciting projects you just completed or are currently working on?

I’m currently working on building out programming, including panels and guest speakers, for the upcoming MS in Real Estate Orientation in September. I look forward to welcoming the next cohort of MSRE students this fall!

What is the best advice you have ever been given (work or personal)?

When job searching, always remember that you do not have options until you have offers. Apply broadly, don’t be too narrow-minded and never sell yourself short.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not on campus/working?

Singing! I am an upper bass in the Seattle Men’s Chorus and currently serve as President of the SMC Membership Council, which is essentially the student affairs of the chorus. We run auditions, match each new singer with a chorus buddy and plan our quarterly new member reception.

Where is your favorite place to eat around campus?

I enjoy Little Thai, right off the Ave

Most recent favorite book, show, movie, or podcast?

Favorite TV Show, hands down: True Blood.

Roushan Kwatra awarded NAIOP Scholarship

The NAIOP + Prologis Inclusion in CRE Scholarship is awarded to 15 awardees annually across the United States for outstanding dedication and commitment to networking organizations in Commercial Real Estate as well as leadership in advancing the mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sector. Awardees are matched with mentors from Prologis, as well as given the chance to attend an all-expenses paid trip to either of NAIOP’s I.CON East/West conferences, where they are recognized for their achievements. Roushan Kwatra attended the I.CON West conference in Long Beach, CA where he had the chance to network with his fellow awardees as well as industry veterans and professionals from companies like Prologis, Pannatoni Development, Altus Group etc. Roushan was the only awardee from NAIOP’s Washington State chapter in 2024 and is grateful to the chapter for their continued support of his goals in the commercial real estate space.

Read more about Roushan on NAIOP’s website here

Congratulations Roushan!

Hanson Dai presents at the Undergraduate Research Symposium

Each year at the Undergraduate Research Symposium nearly 1,000 undergraduate students from all three UW campuses and other local institutions present their research spanning over 100 disciplines.

Hanson Dai, a senior majoring in Real Estate, recently delivered an oral presentation discussing his work in collaboration with Professor Arthur Acolin at the University of Washington’s 2024 annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Along with Professor Acolin, Hanson has been researching the effects of various rent measures on tracking inflation rates in the United States. Making up forty percent of the Consumer Price Index, accurate and timely rental data is critical in ensuring well justified decisions relating to the micro and macro economy. Through literature review and statistical analysis of various datasets, Hanson presented the discoveries he made with Professor Acolin regarding trends surrounding the housing market and economy. Click here to watch a recording of his presentation.

Increasing Washington State’s Residential Development Capacity

In recent years, the Washington legislature has enacted significant legislation intended to increase capacity for residential development in urban areas and thereby make housing more affordable. It is well understood that unnecessarily restrictive regulatory constraints are among the key factors leading to the inadequate supply and high cost of housing. This legislation directly targets these kinds of constraints.

A new report from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research focuses on the impacts of two key pieces of legislation: HB 1923 and HB 2343, enacted in 2019 and 2020, respectively. These provided grants to help municipalities develop and implement housing action plans intended to identify potential actions, including code changes, to enhance residential building capacity. Based on surveys of municipalities and administrative data from the Washington Department of Commerce, the report concludes that some 64% of grant recipients have adopted various types of code changes intended to facilitate the development of affordable housing.

The report can be found here: https://wcrer.be.uw.edu/research-reports/.

 

International Alumni Student Panel

The University of Washington Real Estate Club held another successful event on April 5 in Gould Hall.  Organizer, Kevin Cao of Gemsdale, a frequent graduate student mentor, organized a diverse group of International MSRE graduates, who offered their unique perspectives and guidance on career exploration and networking. The panelists proved particularly adept at advising attendees on how to bridge cultural gaps with internal and external stakeholders, and blend into their future workplace. Moderator, Vivien Chim, kept the questions flowing and the students had numerous follow up questions as well.  This well attended event was peppered with current MSRE students,. undergraduates and recent alumni.  Before and after the panel, attendees had the opportunity to put their networking skills to use by engaging with the alumni. Food and beverages were provided by current Advisory Board president Shannon Underwood. Overall, this was an outstanding event that provided invaluable insights into the real estate industry and offered exceptional networking opportunities. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future!

2023 CoreNet Global Academic Challenge

Yijia Chen, MSRE Class of 2023 shares her recent experience traveling to Singapore to compete in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 13

A team of four graduate students in a Master of Science in Real Estate program advanced to the final round of CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 13 (AC13) in Singapore competing against more than 30 student teams from universities around the world. The team was asked to play the role of an internal corporate real estate professional for a global home appliance manufacturer in the challenge and to develop future workplace strategies given the rise of the metaverse. Ultimately, the team decided to adopt the strategy of designing for a hybrid workplace where VR and AR technologies can be applied to deal with the current and anticipated challenges of a hybrid workplace faced by both manufacturing center workers and office workers.

The UW team competed with the New York University and the University of Malaya, Malaysia in the AC13 Competition. Even though the UW did not win the cup, the Singapore experience is invaluable. The team attended a variety of exhibits, networking luncheons, and informational events during the three days of the summit. The team also met corporate real estate professionals from across the globe – Australia, India, Malaysia, London, Philippines, and Japan, just to name a few. The opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from their experiences provides an excellent opportunity to broaden the team member’s horizons and allow them to bring fresh perspectives into the Spring quarter classrooms.

A sincere thank you to Sofia, Skylar, Sakriti, Josh and other professionals from the CoreNet Washington Chapter for all of your support and guidance.