FAMU Real Estate Club and FSU Real Estate majors at FSU Trends Conference.
Photo Courtesy of the FAMU Real Estate Club.
Florida A&M University’s Real Estate Program is a fairly new academic initiative executed by the School of Business and Industry (SBI). This educational program provides students with the opportunity to learn residential real estate, commercial real estate and property management.
The program was originally derived from the FAMU Real Estate Club. The club was started when John Crossman, founder and CEO of Crossman & Company, visited FAMU several years ago and got students interested in the program. Crossman & Company is one of the largest retail leasing, management, and investment sales firms in Southeastern U.S.
MBA candidate and Real Estate club member Maya Mitchell wants to eventually own self-sustaining residential communities. She believes the club gives students the opportunity to reach their goals in the field.
“What we provide to the student body is open membership to all majors and all students [and] to do an event a month,” Mitchell explained. “We’ll have someone from commercial or residential real estate come in and speak to the students about their background and gives tips that they have learned along the way. We also attend conferences that are sponsored—so it includes travel and admission.”
The program is mainly online and is geared toward students obtaining their professional real estate license.
There is a process that students must go through in order to retrieve their real estate license. The first step is to complete a 63-hour course in order to obtain the pre-license.
Once students have passed the pre-license course they must register with the Department of Business and Professional Regulations to apply for their real estate license.
The course also prepares students for the state exam that they also must successfully pass before becoming officially licensed.
Paulette MacFarlane, a licensed commercial real estate instructor, noted that one of the most exciting aspects of real estate is the constant changes.
“What I enjoy doing in real estate is viewing commercial property, seeing the development that has taken place around us, and how value has changed over time,” MacFarlane explained. “I’ve seen the growth in Tallahassee since the 80s, and now we’re in 2018 and I’ve really seen the transformation.”
After a person officially becomes licensed, every two years they must take a “continuing education” course. This is to assure that everyone stays up to par with ethics, guidelines, and any changes to the market.
The very first two years in the program, students are required to take a 45-hour post-licensing course. And then every two years after that, it drops down to a 14-hour course.
Interdisciplinary Studies major Brea Gardner is has considered the benefits of real estate through her life experiences.
“I’ve always been into interior design and I watch all the HGTV shows so I might consider real estate,” Garder stated.
With new technological and scientific advances being made, it’s important for students to be proficient in their field. The Real Estate Program is dedicated to provide individuals with hands-on training that will prepare them to be successful in the real estate market.