The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania – MBA Real Estate Profile

The Wharton Real Estate program has many different components, providing students with ample resources to learn about real estate, network within the industry, and find an exciting career. I chose to attend Wharton because it is widely regarded as the premier real estate MBA program in the country. Upon joining Wharton and engaging with the real estate community, I realized this accolade was earned and deserved because of the comprehensive academic and extracurricular offerings.

Real Estate as a Major at Wharton

First and foremost, on an academic level, Wharton offers Real Estate as one of its 19 majors.  For me, it was important to get a focused and formal education in real estate as I pursued my MBA. I fell into the industry after college and had learned everything on the job. Learning the foundations in a classroom has reinforced my industry experience and provided the necessary tools to broaden and deepen my industry knowledge.

We as students have the opportunity to learn from some of the most accomplished researchers and industry professionals. Course topics range from Real Estate Investments to Development to Housing Markets to Real Estate Law. Professors consistently draw on their professional experiences and personal networks to bring in fascinating guest speakers, many at the C-suite level.

Real Estate Outside the Classroom – The Wharton Real Estate Club

The Wharton Real Estate Club has been the most valuable resource to me as I pursue a real estate education. It is one of the most popular and active professional clubs on campus, providing career resources and additional industry education as well as a social outlet. Each year, the club brings in professionals to train members in Argus and other important modeling skills.

Multiple committees are responsible for bringing in guest speakers for Lunch & Learns, panel discussions, and information sessions, with an emphasis on showing the diversity of the opportunities within the industry as well as the diversity of the professionals in the field. As real estate is an inherently social industry, club members have a great sense of comradery which reinforces everyone’s professional network as students graduate and enter the industry. We enjoy small group dinners, happy hours, even a club-sponsored axe-throwing event this spring!

The Zell-Lurie Center Real Estate Center

The most impressive resource available to Wharton students interested in real estate is the Zell-Lurie Center. The Zell-Lurie is an endowed research institution funded by Sam Zell of Equity International. Members of the Zell-Lurie Center are accomplished industry professionals who participate in the Fall and Spring Meetings, mentor program, and Ballard Lunch program.

• The Fall and Spring Meetings are two-day conferences attended by hundreds of Zell-Lurie members, featuring panel discussions, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and ample networking opportunities. As students in the Real Estate Club, we get to attend these meetings for free, versus the thousands of dollars the attendees pay!
• The Zell-Lurie mentor program pairs students with a member mentor, providing students access to an industry professional in their city and specialty of interest. Students can learn from their mentor’s experiences and seek advice throughout the year.
• Lastly, the Ballard Lunch program brings impressive industry professionals to campus for an intimate group lunch where a small group of students get one-on-one access to ask questions and seek advice.

The Wharton Real Estate Alumni Network

The final most important resource for real estate students at Wharton is the extensive alumni network. Wharton is admittedly a big place – 850 students per class – but that simply means that our networks upon graduation is that much bigger! Wharton students graduate and launch successful real estate careers all over the world. I remember when I told colleagues and contacts that I would be leaving my real estate private equity job to attend Wharton, I was amazed at the number of people who told me they were Wharton alums when they sent their congratulations.

This showed me that I chose the right program and community to broaden my real estate network. The culture at Wharton cultivates a spirit and desire to give back and pay it forward. The alumni have proven this to me countless times, as they are always willing to answer a student’s email or phone call to help them leverage the alumni network and navigate the networking and career search process.

Browse Other MBA In Real Estate Profiles

About Keri Tiner: After earning a degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia, I got my first job with the Capital Markets brokerage team at Cushman & Wakefield in Washington, DC. This was my first exposure to the commercial real estate industry, and I quickly learned the fundamentals of real estate valuation. After a year at C&W, my team moved to HFF, where I focused on debt brokerage. After three years in brokerage, I moved to ASB Real Estate, a private REIT based in Bethesda, MD. The firm’s primary investment vehicle is an open-ended, core fund with investments in office, multifamily, retail and industrial assets in major markets across the United States. I worked on both underwriting new acquisitions as well as the asset management of existing investments. After six years in the industry, I decided to pursue an MBA with a focus in real estate in order to gain a formal education in my chosen field and expand my personal and professional network.