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The Runstad Department of Real Estate officially launched its annual BSRE Mentorship Program on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, bringing together students and industry professionals for an evening of connection, conversation, and career exploration. The kickoff event gathered mentors representing a broad spectrum of real estate disciplines, including asset management, leasing, brokerage, market research, legal counsel, investments, finance, and development. This gathering provided mentors and mentees with their first opportunity to meet in person and begin building meaningful professional relationships. This year’s population of mentors includes Runstad Advisory Board members, MSRE alumni, BSRE alumni and other Seattle-based real estate professionals. 

Throughout the evening, mentors shared insights into their career paths, while mentees discussed their fields of interest and current studies. Mentors also fielded questions from students about their professional goals and offered practical perspectives and insights on the realities of working professionally in commercial real estate. 

Students and mentors were free to move between tables so that all students in attendance had the opportunity to connect with a multiple real estate professionals, as well as with their peers in the department. These conversations offered students the chance to network with professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds and specializations and to connect classroom knowledge with real-life examples. 

Graduate Staff Assistant and MSRE student Cole McArthur also joined the event to share his experiences in commercial real estate with undergraduate mentees and their mentors. 

The Runstad Department of Real Estate extends its sincere thanks to all of our 2026-2027 mentors, Runstad staff and faculty, and undergraduate student ambassadors Leo Lee and Lily Gu, whose dedication and hard work made the event a successful and meaningful launch of the BSRE Mentorship Program.

October 21, 2026, marked the first ever Bachelor of Science in Real Estate alumni event for the Runstad Department of Real Estate. Bringing together BSRE graduates from across different graduating years for an evening in Downtown Seattle, the gathering offered alumni an opportunity to reconnect with the Runstad community and with fellow recent graduates as they continue building their careers across the real estate industry. 

BSRE alumni represented at the event now work across a wide range of real estate and related fields, including development, brokerage, consulting, investment, property management, construction, and data analysis. The variety of professions represented throughout the evening reflected the breadth of career paths graduates have pursued since completing the program. 

Throughout the evening, attendees gathered over refreshments and conversation in a relaxed setting, creating opportunities for graduates from various professional backgrounds to reconnect and exchange their work perspectives since graduating from the University of Washington. 

As the first alumni event dedicated to graduates of the BSRE program, the gathering marked an opportunity to bring together members of the undergraduate real estate alumni community and maintain their connections with the Runstad Department of Real Estate. The event also provided a chance to recognize and celebrate the various professional pathways BSRE graduates have pursued while strengthening relationships across alumni from different graduating years.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the BSRE alumni who joined us for the inaugural alumni event and contributed to an evening of conversation and connection.

We also offer a special thank you to Runstad BSRE alumni Hunter Evans, Ciara Joy Laney, Hanson Dai and Jill Bryan for organizing the event and for helping bring members of the BSRE alumni community together.

Heather Lin, BSRE ’22, has used her real estate foundation from Runstad to step into investment banking, now advising clients on M&A deals at Harris Williams.

With an interest in business, Heather began her way into real estate and investment banking through the UW Investment Banking Accelerator, a student-led group where she found a professional community that matched her ambition and curiosity. As she advanced in the program, she moved into mentorship and leadership roles, helping others navigate the rigorous recruiting process for banking internships.

Throughout her time at UW, Heather remained open to new opportunities—which is how she found the Runstad Department of Real Estate. “Real estate for me was particularly interesting,” she mentions. “Real estate investing is something that I’ve been exposed to from a young age”. But more than that, I saw a lot of parallels between real estate and finance.” Courses like Real Estate Valuation, where she once appraised a fraternity house, helped bridge her analytical skill set with tangible assets. She also minored in Data Science and International Studies to fulfill her curiosity across disciplines.

Internships were a key part of Heather’s path. After a tough initial search—including an internship at a search fund—she landed a role at Lakeside Partners, a local investment bank focused on family and founder-owned businesses in the Pacific Northwest. She interned with the team during the school year, which exposed her to the right environment, terminology, and key areas in the investment banking universe. That experience paved the way to a competitive summer analyst role at Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in mergers & acquisitions and private capital advisory services, where she later returned full-time.

“At Harris Williams, we work with private equity clients and institutional investors. What does a real estate agent play in the process of selling a home or a commercial property – there are significant parallels between the roles that an agent plays in a real estate transaction that bankers play for companies.” Heather works within the Healthcare & Life Sciences group. She notes that the healthcare field ended up matching her desire for learning different business models that can be applied to other industries. She emphasized how intellectual curiosity and asking thoughtful questions helped her succeed.

Outside of her career, Heather is a lifelong snowboarder and skier. She competed nationally with USASA and even founded UW’s Snowboard Team. Though she now rides recreationally, her love for the sport persists. Snowboarding taught her discipline, risk-taking, and resilience—traits that have clearly served her well in the high-stakes world of investment banking.

This year’s African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) 3rd Annual Journey Home Luncheon, themed Breaking Ground for Our Future, celebrated an exciting new chapter for the Seattle real estate community. The luncheon took place on Wednesday October 15 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle, and several Runstad alumni, current MSRE and BSRE students, staff and faculty were in attendance. Guests, table captains, and supporters came together around a shared vision: creating affordable housing, culturally rooted gathering spaces, and opportunities for families and individuals across the African Diaspora to thrive.

For Jolin Fang, MSRE alum and affiliate instructor in the Runstad Department of Real Estate, the room itself said the most. “What moved me most was the authenticity in the room, seeing communities come together around the belief that housing is so much more than just a commodity,” she said.

For a student in the Runstad Department of Real Estate, the evening offered a glimpse of what’s ahead: “Seeing the vision for culturally rooted gathering spaces gave me so much hope for the next generation.”

Thank you to everyone who attended, brought guests, and helped make this event possible.

On October 1st, 2026, the Runstad Department of Real Estate welcomed Advisory Board members, incoming and continuing Master of Science of Real Estate (MSRE) students, mentors, faculty and staff, to our annual MSRE Welcome Reception, which took place on the rooftop deck of Washington 1000 (Hudson Pacific Properties) in downtown Seattle. The event included appetizers, refreshments, a photo booth and a beautiful view of the downtown Seattle skyline.

This reception marked one of the first opportunities for our incoming MSRE students to come together as a cohort, begin conversations that continue throughout their time at University of Washington, and to become acquainted with the people and professional community surrounding the Runstad Department of Real Estate. This event also provided the first opportunity for incoming MSRE students to meet with their assigned professional mentor. As always, all 28 incoming students were individually matched with a professional real estate mentor prior to the start of the academic year.

A central feature of the reception was the opportunity for students to make connections with the wider Runstad network. Conversations throughout the evening gave students an early opportunity to hear different perspectives from across the real estate industry, learn more about the Runstad community, and begin developing relationships that will support their academic and professional growth.

The Runstad Department of Real Estate extends its appreciation to the faculty, staff, alumni, Advisory Board members, industry professionals, and community partners who joined us in welcoming this year’s MSRE cohort.

 

The Ferguson Fellowship is a program intended to help students grow as leaders, expand their professional networks, and gain exposure to the many career paths within the real estate industry. In this spotlight, Ferguson Fellow William Phillips Nichols reflects on his experience in the program, and the lessons that will stay with him as he begins his professional career. He also shares his perspective on emerging industry trends and offers advice for future Ferguson Fellows.

 

1. Favorite Memories & High Points

Q: Looking back at this past year, what has been your favorite memory or standout moment as a Ferguson Fellow? Is there a specific experience or event that really defined the year for you?

A: One of the standout experiences for me was a fellowship event focused on crafting compelling messages and professional storytelling. The session explored how to present yourself professionally, whether through something as simple as your Zoom background or more broadly through the development of your personal brand.

We talked a lot about communication, storytelling, and how to differentiate yourself from your peers by building a reputation for accountability and professionalism. I found that especially valuable because those skills apply far beyond the classroom. Being someone others can rely on and clearly communicating your ideas are qualities that will serve you throughout your career.

 

2. Biggest Overall Takeaways

Q: The fellowship opens a lot of doors and connects you with a ton of resources. Looking at all the opportunities the program has presented you this year, what would you say are your biggest overall takeaways?

A: My biggest takeaway from the fellowship has been the network of ambitious and driven young professionals I was able to connect with throughout the year. Being surrounded by other students who were all navigating similar questions about career paths and finding their place in the industry created a really meaningful shared experience.

Those relationships became one of the most valuable parts of the program for me, and I look forward to carrying those connections with me into the professional world.

 

3. Tech and Changing Trends

Q: The real estate world is changing fast right now, especially with everything happening in tech and AI. From what you’ve seen and learned this year, what market trends are you keeping a close eye on as you get ready to jump into the industry?

A: One area I’ve been paying close attention to is the growing role of AI and technology in real estate analysis and decision-making. I’ve personally used tools like ChatGPT and Claude to help explain complex topics more accessibly or assist in identifying comparable properties during analysis work.

I currently work as an Asset Management and Compliance Intern at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, where much of my work focuses on underperforming assets. Part of my role involves identifying the causes behind performance issues and comparing properties against market benchmarks. Technologies like AI have become valuable tools in helping organize information, identify patterns, and improve efficiency in that process.

I don’t think these technologies replace professionals, but I do think they will become increasingly important tools for people who know how to use them effectively.

 

4. What’s Next & Advice for the Next Round

Q: What is the next step for you once the school year wraps up? And for the undergrads who are going to apply for this fellowship next year, what’s your best advice on how they can set themselves up for success?

A: After graduation, I’ll be starting another internship this June with a property ownership and management firm, where I’ll be working on the sales and marketing team. I’m also wrapping up my time in the University of Washington Sales Certificate Program.

For students interested in applying to the fellowship, my biggest piece of advice would be simple: show up. Attend the events, engage with people, ask thoughtful questions, and stay curious. The fellowship creates a tremendous number of opportunities for professional and personal growth, but it’s up to you to take advantage of them. The more effort and energy you invest into the experience, the more you’ll get out of it.

The Runstad Department of Real Estate is pleased to share the success of our annual year-end Mentor/Mentee Celebration, held at the Chapter Buildings in the University District on Thursday, May 21. This gathering served as the conclusion to another year of supporting students with their professional growth and career exploration, and brought together our MSRE and BSRE students, mentors, alumni, faculty, and staff to celebrate our graduate and undergraduate mentorship programs’ conclusion.

Attendees enjoyed an evening of reflection, networking and celebrating the milestones achieved over the 2025–2026 academic year. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to thank our industry mentors for their invaluable time and insights.

Our department remains incredibly fortunate to benefit from an exceptionally engaged community of Seattle area real estate professionals. Their continuous investment of expertise and time into our students’ career development reinforces the value of mentorship as an essential aspect of the Runstad student experience at both the graduate and undergraduate level. As our graduation season approaches, the connections students make through our mentorship program will undoubtedly continue to support their growth as they transition into their professional careers.

Acknowledgments

We extend our sincere appreciation to the team at the Chapter Buildings for providing an exceptional venue in the heart of the U-District.

We also offer a special thank you to Ryan Companies for sponsoring this event and to Runstad Advisory Board member Laura Ford for her assistance in helping us secure this fantastic space.

Blake Hardison is a recent graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate. He currently serves as a Production Analyst in Debt & Structured Finance at Colliers. During his undergraduate studies, Blake gained diverse experience through internships in multifamily investment sales and retail leasing, while also serving in leadership roles such as the Panel Events Chair for the UW Real Estate Club and Captain of UW’s club lacrosse team. He successfully leveraged these experiences to launch his career in capital markets. In his current role, he supports the structuring and execution of financing solutions for commercial real estate assets.

 

Q: Blake, you are currently working as a Production Analyst in Debt & Structured Finance at Colliers. Could you walk us through what that role entails day-to-day and the types of financing deals or asset classes you are currently focusing on?

A: My position is somewhat unique in that I work on a lean, high-output team directly supporting Mark Plenge, a prominent CRE finance specialist in our market with over 3 decades of experience. Because of our small team, I serve as his right-hand man, handling everything from underwriting and financial modeling to preparing offering memorandums and client presentations.

My day is typically split; I spend about half my time in Excel running numbers and the other half managing deal flow and client communications. This involves everything from getting an initial look at new opportunities to coordinating with lenders to get deals across the finish line. Colliers is a Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) lender for Fannie Mae, which allows us to originate debt directly. However, we also act as intermediaries, connecting borrowers with banks, life insurance companies, and CMBS lenders. Consequently, I get exposure to the entire field of capital sources, whether we are originating the debt on our own books or sourcing it externally.

Q: Your current role is highly analytical and finance-heavy. Looking back at the Real Estate curriculum at UW, were there specific courses, perhaps in real estate finance or investment, that provided the technical foundation you rely on most in your work today?

A: James Betzer’s Real Estate Investment and Finance class was instrumental. Since he is an active broker himself, he didn’t just teach the theory; he introduced us to the actual Excel tools and financial modeling techniques used in the industry today. Similarly, the specialized coursework in Argus and Vince Wang’s Excel-focused data analysis class gave me a significant technical head start.

Actually, my coursework at UW led directly to my current role. Mark Plenge came in as a guest speaker for James Betzer’s class. I made sure to grab his business card after his presentation, kept in touch, and that connection eventually led to the opportunity I have now.

Q: Before joining Colliers full-time, you held internships across different sectors, including Multifamily Investment Sales at CBRE and Retail Leasing at Real Retail. How did seeing these different sides of the industry, sales and leasing, help prepare you for the debt and structured finance side of the business?

A: My time in retail leasing was vital for building a foundational understanding of commercial real estate, though it helped me realize early on that my passion lay more on the investment side than in leasing. The internship at CBRE was the real eye-opener. It expanded my curiosity about capital markets and allowed me to see how top-tier producers conducted business.

I found that my personality was closely aligned with those of the brokers I met that summer, and I became attracted to the lifestyle that a merit-based industry such as ours allows. The mentorship and experience I received that summer solidified my passion for brokerage and made clear the type of career I wanted to build.

Q: You were actively involved on campus, specifically serving as the Panel Events Chair for the UW Real Estate Club. How did taking on a leadership role and engaging with industry professionals through those events impact your networking and eventual recruitment process?

A: While I’ve always been outgoing, stepping into a leadership role like this still demanded much personal growth. Being the Panel Events Chair pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened my eyes to the value of soft skills. It forced me to refine my communication style, coordinate with diverse groups of people, and manage logistics professionally. These are skills that are essential in my current role, and will be increasingly so in future roles I’ll step into. We had a great leadership group which made it fun as well, but it certainly aided my professional development and complemented the technical skills I was learning in the classroom.

Q: The transition from student to professional is a significant step. How did the UW Runstad Department’s alumni network or mentorship opportunities aid you in securing your role at a major firm like Colliers?

A: Growing and maintaining my network was everything. Senior year, I typed out a list of all my mentors and close-circle industry contacts, and no less than 90% of them could be traced directly back to a Runstad or UW event.

For example, at the Runstad Leadership Dinner my junior year, I met Evan Kaseguma from Ryan Companies. I followed up with him, and he invited me to shadow him for a day which included an architecture meeting, a property tour of Skyglass Apartments, and a lunch meeting with 3 JLL brokers, which was my first real look into the brokerage world. When I applied to my current role on Mark’s team at Colliers, Mark actually called Evan to get a character reference. Without that relationship, I might not be sitting here today.

Beyond that, my first mentor, Daniel Wang, was very generous to teach me the then-foreign language of CRE modeling, and was always one call away if I ever needed interview prep. And Aaron Fairchild, the UW professor I TA’d for during my senior year, was another key piece of my incredible support system.

Q: Now that you have successfully navigated the job market and started your career, what is one piece of advice you would give to current real estate students to help them maximize their time in the program and stand out to future employers?

A: At the risk of sounding cliché, you truly get out what you put in. If you put in the effort, you will find people who are genuinely excited to help you succeed. But you have to be the one to reach out and get involved.

My biggest piece of advice is to do things in person. Go to the events that the school and club put on. Get coffee with someone who interests you. And it’s important to stay consistent. Don’t let your relationships go stale; follow up and touch base with your mentors even when you don’t need something immediately. Real estate is a people business, and building those relationships starts the moment you enter the program.

Each year, Bank of America hosts the Affordable Housing Challenge. In a climate of rising housing costs, the competition invites students to engage directly with the complexities of affordable housing development.

Over a 12-week sprint, teams take on the role of affordable housing developers—identifying a project site, crafting a design concept, defining community partners, estimating total development costs, assembling a funding strategy, and building a full pro forma. The process requires both creativity and technical rigor, pushing students to translate ideas into projects that are financially and operationally feasible.

This year marked the largest competition in the program’s 35 year history, with a record 16 teams representing 10+ universities from across the U.S. The University of Washington, was represented by two interdisciplinary teams from across the College of Built Environments. The undergraduate team included Laura Haksworth (Community Environment and Planning), Teera Bangsaruntipya (Real Estate), Hailey Hellenkamp (International Studies and Political Science), Emily Van (Architectural Design), and Tsung-Pei Yu (Real Estate). The graduate team included Vincent Bub (MSRE), Kai Chang (MSRE), Vy Le (MSRE), Aysegul Pilavci (MSRE), Elgun Tarverdiyev (MSRE), Shuhan Yi (MSRE), and Nicholas Miranda (MArch).

Advancing to the final round, the UW grad team competed against UC Berkeley, Cal Poly, and cross-institutional teams from UNC Chapel Hill and NC State, and the Women’s Affordable Housing Network and received an honorable mention. Projects were evaluated across four criteria: project finance, design concept, community impact and support, and an overall “X factor,” with jurors representing a broad cross-section of the affordable housing field.

Team member Kai Chang reflects, “The experience was truly invaluable. The growth we experienced over the course of the 3 months was immense. Our level of comprehension dramatically increased. By the end, we were able to navigate an in-depth pro forma, funding policies, tax credits, and building codes with a much deeper level of understanding.”

The team’s proposal leveraged unique Seattle policies, including the Religious Organization-Owned Property Ordinance, to redevelop church-owned land. The project envisions 138 units, across one-, two-, and three-bedroom layout, with a focus on family housing and an average affordability target of 55% AMI.

Chang adds, “We’re proud to have been named a finalist. Given the rigor and reach of the competition, as well as the complexities of affordable housing development, I hope we’ve demonstrated the strength of the UW program.”

The challenge aims to empower the next generation of affordable housing leaders. Congratulations to both teams, and special thanks to instructors Arthur Acolin and Rico Quirindongo and partners from the industry and community including Jeff Bernard, Beth Boram, Eden Cano, Keith Carpenter, Al Levine, Lauren Mathisen, and Michele Wang for their guidance along the way.

Runstad X ULI Northwest Networking Event Recap On the evening of April 9th, the Runstad Department of Real Estate partnered with ULI Northwest to host their first-ever joint networking event, drawing more than 50 MSRE and BSRE students, ULI members, and Runstad Advisory Board members for an evening of conversation and connection in the beautiful second-floor lobby of Rainier Square. The event featured three speakers with deep ties to the city’s built environment:

● Rico Quirindongo, Director, Office of Planning and Community Development, City of Seattle

● Salone Habibuddin, AVP and Chief Real Estate Officer, University of Washington

● Carl Pierce, Director of Strategic Operations, Metropolitan Tract at UW Real Estate Development

The speakers touched on the rich history of the Seattle Metropolitan Tract, the 10-acre downtown parcel that UW has owned since its founding days, and its evolution into one of Seattle’s most significant developments. When UW relocated to its present campus in 1894, the Board of Regents chose to retain ownership of the original downtown site, a decision that gave rise to generations of landmark development. Today, the Tract is anchored by Rainier Square, the second-tallest building in Seattle, featuring office space, retail, and residential units, the very building in which the evening’s event took place.

Beyond history, the discussion centered on placemaking and the challenge of keeping downtowns dynamic amid the rise of hybrid work. The speakers offered a firsthand perspective on how Seattle’s urban core is being reimagined and what intentional, community-driven development looks like in practice. For Runstad students, the evening was a great chance to engage directly with both ULI members and Runstad Advisory Board members who are actively doing that work. As the next faces of the Seattle real estate industry, MSRE and BSRE students benefit greatly from the many new connections and new perspectives they gain by attending industry-focused events like this.