The rapid growth and expansion of California’s housing market has created a greater need for real estate professionals to lead the industry forward, and Cal State Fullerton is stepping up to the challenge.
To satisfy the high demand for real estate professionals working in residential and commercial real estate in Southern California, CSUF’s College of Business and Economics introduced a real estate concentration this fall for business students.
Studying such topics as real estate finance and investment, brokerage, urban planning, market analysis, acquisition, development, and management, students learn to analyze real estate assets, assess risk factors and apply their knowledge to their decision making.
In their courses, students collaborate with a wide range of faculty experts who not only have professional experience in the field, but also conduct academic research that has been published in such top real estate journals as Real Estate Economics, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, and Journal of Real Estate Research.
“Real estate is important to individuals, households, business organizations and society as a whole,” said Jia Xie, associate professor of finance and academic director of the Center for Real Estate at CSUF. “The market in Southern California will continue to expand in the future due to the heated housing demand. To prepare students for this, the curriculum spans the broader context of real estate and allows them to explore the full structure of real estate and its role in our communities.”
The concentration also puts aspiring real estate professionals on the fast track to their future roles in the industry, added Xie.
In California, a person must hold a salesperson license for two years before they can earn a broker license, but CSUF has an agreement with the California Department of Real Estate, which stipulates that CSUF graduates can take the exam for their broker license right after graduation. This ensures that CSUF business grads move up in the industry at a quicker rate than graduates from other universities, said Xie.
Hands-on Learning in the Center for Real Estate
Through a partnership with the college’s Center for Real Estate, students further develop their business, analytical and interpersonal communication skills while gaining networking and professional experience. Established in 1996, the center is dedicated to promoting real estate education, supporting students and contributing to research in real estate-related fields.
The center provides workshops with real estate professionals, on-campus financial analysis training and certification, access to national and local conferences, and career days. Students in the center can also get involved with the Real Estate Association, a student-run organization that focuses on networking, professional and personal development, and mentorship.
Greg Herder ’02 (B.A. psychology) is the director of the center and has been teaching at CSUF since 2006. In that time, he’s seen firsthand the transformative power of the center and how it provides students the tools they need to launch their careers.
“Getting involved in organizations and building a network of fellow students, professors and alumni is the fastest way to find outstanding job opportunities that you would never get otherwise,” said Herder.
In addition to joining a Titan business alumni network that is nearing 80,000 strong, Center for Real Estate members also have access to such professional networks as the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Orange County, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.
“The Center for Real Estate isn’t just focused on helping members grow personally and professionally while they’re here at Cal State Fullerton. It’s focused on supporting them and setting them up for success long after they’ve graduated,” said Herder.