Real Estate is a multidisciplinary concentration
which means it must be paired with any functional
concentration of your choosing.
A multidisciplinary concentration provides a breadth of
exposure regarding a particular industrial sector or an area
of business through related courses from within Questrom
and across the University. Students interested in Real
Estate may be interested in careers in that specific industry.
However, this multidisciplinary concentration can also
encompass a wide range of areas including: finance,
marketing, management, construction, and sales. Having
a multidisciplinary concentration allows you to pair your
industry interest and knowledge with combined skills to
compete in a specific area within the larger Real Estate sector.
A multidisciplinary concentration in Real Estate can lead to a
variety of career paths. As such, students are encouraged to
select a Functional Concentration that pairs with their area
of additional interest. The choices with the more common
pairings are Finance, Marketing, Information Systems,
and Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
For more information on required courses and to contact
a Concentration Faculty Advisor, please visit here.
Corporate Real Estate professionals are experts in a
wide range of disciplines including acquisitions, leasing,
dispositions, facilities management, workspace design,
finance, among others. The types of companies that hire
corporate real estate professionals are generally large
corporations with extensive real estate holdings.
They include publicly traded companies and large
privately-owned companies, both domestic and international.
Corporate real estate professionals must learn to adapt what
they’ve learned about real estate to the specific needs and
interests of their company. Real estate professionals who
can identify value unique to a specific company are highly
sought after in corporate real estate.
Careers Include: Real Estate Analyst, Client Manager,
Real Estate Specialist, Cost Manager, Acquisitions Manager
When someone wants to purchase a home, they go to a
mortgage lender. When a person or entity wants to purchase
property considered “commercial,” they typically seek out a
lending company that has expertise in that particular type
of property. Mortgage brokers act on behalf of clients to
find them the best interest rate and terms for a mortgage,
either on a private residence or a commercial property.
When an individual or business entity seeks funding for a
real estate project or purchase, the loan request is reviewed
by an underwriter to determine how much risk the lender
is willing to accept.
Careers Include: Property Underwriter, Commercial
Lending Ocer, Real Estate Analyst, Commercial
Property Adjuster, Credit Risk Analyst
Real Estate venture capital is a growing industry that
invests in a variety of asset classes including commercial
real estate, residential real estate, and real estate
technology. Venture capitalists and angel investors invest
money in young, privately-held companies which show
promise of becoming very big and very valuable. Venture
capitalists look for a strong management team, a large
potential market, and a unique product or service with a
strong competitive advantage. They also look to own a
large percentage of the company so that they can influence
its direction. Early stage investors typically take a very active
role in helping the company grow in an eort to increase
the value of their investments.
Careers Include: Venture Capital Analyst, Private
Equity Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Investor Relations
Associate, Property Sales Professional, Operational
Due Diligence Associate
Undergraduate Development Center
REAL ESTATE
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONCENTRATION GUIDE
CORPORATE REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT
INSURANCE & LENDING
FINANCING VENTURES
Real Estate Investment Banking (REIB) is a specialized
division within an investment bank that advises clients on
mergers and acquisitions, divestures, and capital raising
services. These firms provide clients with crucial risk
analysis, underwrite deals, assist in property sales, and may
provide budgeting or market analysis as part of the advisory
service. Clients are primarily real estate companies and
firms categorized as Home Builders, Lodging, Gaming, and
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). This competitive
career path seeks new professionals with strong analytical
and interpersonal skill sets that can thrive in fast-paced,
entrepreneurial environments.
Careers Include: Investment Banking Analyst,
Investment Banking Associate, Project Analyst,
Finance Analyst, Client Manager
Real Estate Appraisal and Market Analysis are property
valuation methods necessary when considering commercial
or residential property investment. Real Estate market
analysis, also known as comparative market analysis,
compares specific property features to comparable properties
that allows the investor to develop target pricing. Appraisal
is a second form of valuation conducted by a licensed,
objective appraiser that is often required by lenders in order
to determine the maximum loan amount for the property.
Both valuation methods are important when buying and
selling real estate.
Careers Include: Real Estate Valuation Analyst, Valuation
Consultant, Appraisal Analyst, Market Research Analyst,
Real Estate Broker
BANKING APPRAISAL & MARKET ANALYSIS
CLASS
QST FE 469 Real Estate Finance
QST LA 360 Real Estate Law
CAS GE 201 Economic Geography
CAS GE 475 Urban Ecology
QST SI 469 Real Estate
Development
CAS AH 201 Understanding
Architecture
CAS AH 387 Boston Architecture
& Urbanism
CAS AH 399 History of
Landscape Architecture
CAS AH 309 Boston: An
Ethnographic Approach
CAS SO 306 Boston’s People
& Neighborhoods
CAS GE/IR 304 Sustainable
Development
ENG EK 225 Intro to
Energy Conservation
SHA HF 314 Hospitality
Market Feasability
SHA HF 315 Fundamentals
of Hotel RE Deals
CAS GE 309 Intermediate
Environmental Analysis
CORPORATE REAL ESTATE
& DEVELOPMENT
INSURANCE
& LENDING
FINANCING
VENTURES BANKING
APPRAISAL &
MARKET ANALYSIS
Interested in seeing how dierent career paths connect back to the classes you take? Take a look at the grid below to help you
strategize which classes will help you build the skills and knowledge you need to meet your career goals.
CLASSES TO CAREER GRID
Boston University Questrom School of Business Real Estate Multidisciplinary Concentration Guide 2
• Vault
• Pardee Library
• Indeed.com
• Simply Hired
• Internships
• Glassdoor
• Property, Real Estate, Community
Association Managers
• Real Estate Brokers
• Real Estate Agents
• REFA
• Urban Land Institute
• Select Leaders
QUESTROM/BU CLUBS
Joining clubs is a great way to gain experience and build
your professional network. Below is a specific club
within Questrom for those interested in Real Estate.
For a complete list of business specific Questrom Clubs,
please visit here and for a list of BU wide clubs that oer
organizations across larger interest areas ranging from
health to nonprofits, please visit here.
• Real Estate Club
Email burealestateclub@gmail.com for more information
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Professional Associations exist on the regional and national
level. They host national conferences discussing relevant
topics, networking events and training and professional
development opportunities.
If you are interested in careers in Real Estate here
are some professional associations, you may want
to consider joining:
• National Association of Realtors
• National Association of Real Estate Brokers
• Greater Boston Real Estate Board
• Urban Land Institute
• National Association of Industrial
and Oce Properties (NAIOP)
• Real Estate Finance Association (REFA)
• Corporate Real Estate Network (CoreNet)
LINKEDIN GROUPS
LinkedIn is a crucial part of anyone’s job search and
networking strategy, and one of the most underutilized
pieces are groups. On LinkedIn groups you can develop
more targeted networks on various criteria including
location, industry, function and more!
Below is a list of sample LinkedIn groups Real Estate
concentrators may want to consider, for more assistance
on using this feature please make an appointment with
a UDC Career Advisor at bu.joinhandshake.com:
• The Real Estate Networking Group
• Real Estate Professionals Group
• Real Estate Investment Group
• Real Estate Professionals and Vendor Network
INTERNSHIP AND JOB SEARCH RESOURCES
POPULAR EMPLOYERS
NEXT STEPS
Boston Properties
Bank of America
High Street Partners
Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL)
Liberty Mutual
Marcus & Millchap
Newman Knight Frank
T.R. Engel Group, LLC
Wells Fargo
Accredited Home
Lenders
The HYM Investment
Group
Cabot Properties
Colliers International
CBRE
Cushman & Wakefield
GID
Grubb & Ellis
Boston University Questrom School of Business Real Estate Multidisciplinary Concentration Guide 3
