Jonathan Shartar, 07MBA
Why is Goizueta uniquely positioned for the Real Estate Program?
Goizueta is a great fit for a real estate program. Real estate is a niche industry and as a small, niche school, Goizueta is ideally positioned. Real estate companies do not come to recruit 10-20 people students; they come to recruit one or two.
There is so much exciting development going on in Atlanta and there just isn’t a strong enough local supply of MBA talent. Emory is uniquely position to not only provide this resource, but also to take advantage of the tremendous growth going on around us. The opportunity exists not just for case studies, site visits, and guest lecturers, but also for the Emory Real Estate Program to serve the local community with research and ideas.
Although learning opportunities exist in the great Atlanta community, many exist at Emory too. Emory University is a powerhouse when it comes to development. From their exemplary work in LEED certified (environmentally friendly) building to their latest venture into mixed-use development through the Clifton Community Partnership, no one is better positioned than us to maximize the benefit of these great projects and to turn them into learning opportunities. Emory’s building activities mirror those types of development that are the future to sustainable growth elsewhere.
Atlanta already has some of the biggest (Atlantic Station) and most exemplary ( Glenwood Park) developments currently being built in the nation, and this growth is not going to slow down. Reports* indicate that by 2025, the southeast will have grown 41% from its 2000 population, and as the largest metropolitan area, we know Atlanta will constitute a large portion of that growth. When you then consider the increased awareness for environmental concerns and sustainability, Atlanta will be at the heart of it all. With the Goizueta Business School’s focus on principled leadership, we stand ready to not just provide MBA talent that is financially savvy and in tune with the capital markets, but that is positioned to lead the way in this sustainability charge.
*(National Planning Association (NPA) 1999. Regional Economic Projection Series: Economic Databases Three Growth Projections 1967-2025, NPA Data Services Inc.)
How has your experience as a student at Goizueta prepared you for your job in Real Estate?
I came to Goizueta not knowing what to expect from the existing real estate program. What I did know was that Atlanta was a great place to do real estate and therefore, had to be a great place to study it too. I also knew that my career in real estate would be an entrepreneurial one, and I saw Goizueta offering a unique, entrepreneurial experience. As a Co-President of GREG, I got that experience. I found an amazing group of alumni that had been building in strength for many years and the only challenge was how best to tap into their energy. Not many students get the privilege of being a part of something so big and having such a change upon a school’s program. I am pleased that the results of my and many others’ hard work are now evident. I am confident that the business skills I honed along the way will surely serve me well in my career.
Goizueta allowed me to truly piece together my own real estate curriculum. Outside of real estate, I took electives in entrepreneurship, finance, and decision analysis. This multidisciplinary approach will not only allow me to succeed in my first career role, but to learn faster and add value throughout my career.
Goizueta Business School students are not just strong academically, but principally minded and entrepreneurial. Working with those in the classes above and below me, I look forward to following my peers’ career paths and reading about their future successes. Goizueta is ready to not just produce great real estate practitioners, but the future leaders of the industry.
Describe your experience and involvement in the many Real Estate Activities and events that take place at Goizueta.
The strength and energy of Goizueta’s Real Estate community is amazing. I have easily spoken wit or met over 100 alumni in the past two years and never have I encountered one who was not willing to help. This includes those who are recent graduates and those who graduated long before the Goizueta Business School even existed.
The Goizueta Real Estate community it like a family. From the moment you commit to come to this school, they welcome you in and like a successful, functional family, the opportunities for growth and development are plentiful. Lunch and learns were a great way to interact in small groups with exemplary real estate professionals and site visits allowed us to see some of the biggest and best developments currently being constructed in the entire US.
The opportunity to test my real estate knowledge against other, more established MBA real estate programs at the UNC case competition was an exciting opportunity. This was a great learning experience that allowed me to network with students at other schools and professionals outside the Atlanta area. Furthermore, our success there proved what we are capable of just how competitive our program already is and how strong it can be.
ULI has proven to be a great partner. There is no shortage of events taking place in the city that provides a complimentary resource to GREG’s students led activities. We merged these two resources last year with a co-sponsored event that was a tremendous success. We look forward to continuing this partnership and developing others.