The Florida A&M University Real Estate Club is hosting a homeownership seminar in the Grand Ballroom April 8 at 2 p.m, with the help of the Student Government Association.
The club aims to encourage students to educate themselves and to consider career paths in the real estate industry, even outside of personal property.
“Shopping centers, apartments, hotels, office buildings, warehouses, resorts, and raw land are among the major property types where wealth is created in real estate,” said Booker Warren, a business professor and the adviser for the club. “Challenging careers can be crafted in appraisal, sales, banking, mortgage lending and management. In real estate, you can make it as an entrepreneur or as a manager in Corporate America.”
“The Real Estate Club of FAMU began during the fall semester of 2005,” said Devin Cobb, 22, the president, realtor and a master’s of business administration student from Atlanta.
“It was a plan conceived by Professor Booker Warren, and executed through a partnership between him, myself and a few other students in his Financial Analysis of Commercial Real Estate Investment course.”
The club has recently completed a speaker series where four professionals from the areas of finance, architecture, development and construction shared their ideas on development and entrepreneurship in real estate.
As the last speaker of the series, Cory Pressley, a FAMU grad and the owner of Pressley Construction, discussed career and business opportunities for construction majors in real estate development.
He urged students to first develop a business plan and to be committed to what they wish to do.
Pressley shared his personal experiences as a business owner. He is responsible for the construction of many local projects including the eternal flame on the FAMU quadrangle and renovations made to the SBI Presentation Room.
“Interaction with people in the industry offers a chance for internships,” said Dominic Jay, 21, a master’s of business administration student and executive board member from Pittsburgh. “We must bridge the gap between the industry and the students. There is no career path offered at FAMU, just classes. We have to catch up with other schools. FSU offers real estate as a major and they provide licenses.”
Real estate includes several fields, such as property management and investment. From architects to financial consultants, they all make real estate a successful career.
Alicia Crumbley, 21, a junior architecture student from Fort Lauderdale, agrees that architecture and real estate go hand-in-hand.
“It is natural for architecture students to develop an interest in real estate because of design and development,” Crumbley said. “I think architecture plays a big role in real estate. (No matter) what you may be constructing whether it be a residential or commercial investment or an office building, the architecture makes the value go up…”
The various sectors of real estate provide a wide array of possibilities and the club students are urged to take part in this lucrative profession, despite their major.
“Real Estate provides unlimited opportunities to build personal wealth,” Cobb said. “In my personal experience, real estate careers and investments have lead to very positive lifestyle changes for young, black people.”
Cobb completed a 63-hour sales associate pre-licensing course and passed the state exam to become a licensed realtor.
He also joined a local realty.
Although he has experienced first hand the benefits of having a career in the real estate industry, he said many blacks do not invest in property or own homes.
Cobb said, “The primary goals of our club are to promote real estate education; whether it is investing, sales, or simply owning a home, we want everyone to take advantage of the knowledge and resources that are available right under our noses.”
The seminar is open to the public.
Contact Christy G. Bennett at Christybennett1984@hotmail.com