The Real Estate Club: Education and Preparation

For any student with an interest in the real estate industry, there is no better place to start than the Real Estate Club of Yeshiva University. In short, the goal of the club is to introduce the YU student body to a broad range of topics regarding real estate and to provide club members with unique social, career-oriented, and professional networking opportunities with real estate professionals. This is an ideal opportunity for any student who wishes to be equipped with the knowledge, network, and resources to pursue a successful career in real estate. Founded in 2005, this club has grown to over 100 students, and with three or more events a semester has become one of the most visible and active clubs on campus. The club hopes to attract students with any inclination towards real estate, whether they already have advanced knowledge of the business or if they are curious novices ready to take on the industry.

One of the highlights of the club is the newsletter, which is published by the club leadership twice a month. It is comprised of several different sections, each of which gives the reader crucial information on the current state of the industry. The top of the newsletter includes a brief summary of the recent trends within the sector. Becoming familiar with trends in real estate is important for anyone with plans of having conversations with professionals in the near future. In addition, there is a section titled the Real Estate Executive of the Week, which gives a brief biography of a successful individual within the world of real estate. Right below that is a section called the Book of the Week. This is particularly intriguing, as professionals within real estate profess to how crucial it is to have a deep understanding of how investing in real estate works. The best way to acquire the necessary knowledge is to read the books that explain many of the intricacies of the trade and detail famous real estate magnates and firms. Other highlights of the newsletter include a Real Estate Term of the Week, different charts and figures that offer insights on different metrics and indexes within the industry, and a list of interesting articles that familiarize readers with new developments. The main highlight of the newsletter is the interview with a selected real estate professional. In the most recent issue, the Real Estate Club interviewed Benjamin Blumenthal, a Yeshiva University alumnus, and currently a managing director at Norman Bobrow, a real estate firm based in New York City. The questions posed to Mr. Blumenthal focused on why he chose real estate as a profession, the aspects that were particularly attractive to him, and the challenges that he faces. He also shared key advice for those who wish to enter the field and described the qualities that are necessary to have in order to succeed in real estate.

As previously noted, the club organizes many events during the course of the academic year. These include guest speakers, many of whom have been extremely successful in their careers. The club recently hosted David Robinov, an Investment Sales Director at Ackman-Ziff. Mr. Robinov has thirty years of experience in the retail area of real estate, which includes regional and strip malls. At the event, he shared some valuable insights on what brings value and success in the real estate market from the perspectives of an owner, retailer, and broker. The club is also planning on organizing a real estate fair, which will offer the opportunity to interact with an array of real estate professionals, from various fields within the industry. This event is sure to generate much interest from the student body.

Despite the Real Estate Club already becoming a great success on campus, the leaders of the Club have great aspirations to take it even further. They plan on creating a network of Yeshiva University Alumni as well as other Jewish Real Estate professionals and have them mentor and offer advice to students who wish to take the next step into the professional world of real estate. The club hopes to be able to help set up their members with the knowledge and expertise they will need to succeed in real estate from their first day on the job. In addition to the external network it hopes to develop, the club has goals for an internal network of Yeshiva University students as well, as it plans to team up with the Hospitality Management Club for future events. Matthew Stadtmauer, the president of the club, summarized the purpose of the club: “The idea of the club is to educate individuals to the point where they are knowledgeable and can keep up a conversation about real estate. Ultimately, we hope that this knowledge will help students procure good jobs and give Yeshiva University a prestigious name in the industry.” By making these goals a reality, the club aspires to make Yeshiva University one of the premier destinations for students who have ambitions to succeed in the real estate industry.