Undergrad Real Estate Club presidents share vision for upcoming term

Juniors Emily Wallace and Julian Esquer were selected to lead the Undergraduate Real Estate Club as co-presidents when new officers were appointed last month. We spoke with Wallace and Esquer, who are both Business Administration majors concentrating in real estate, to hear their visions for the organization during their time at the helm.

Why are you passionate about real estate? 

Wallace: I am passionate about real estate because of the industry’s culture and how numbers can tell a story. I find the real estate industry energizing and exciting. I love the many creative opportunities that align with my interests, including opportunities in sustainability and design. Also, I am fascinated by how the real estate industry can positively create and transform communities. I appreciate how the industry fosters a collaborative environment and values relationships and teamwork.

Esquer: My dad is on the residential side of real estate and owns his own brokerage firm, so I have always been interested in how real estate in general is very entrepreneurial even within commercial shops. I knew I wanted to be able to work on bigger deals and CRE allows me that exposure. RE is also very unique as an asset class where it provides fixed-income and leveraged appreciation, and you can use market imperfections to your advantage unlike trading equities.

Why are you a part of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club? How do you believe it is of benefit to UNC real estate students? 

Wallace: I joined the Undergraduate Real Estate Club simply in hopes of learning more about the industry, but it turned out the club provided me with much more than that. I attended UREC meetings, networking events, and the Atlanta Trek. The Trek was a pivotal experience for me in deciding to pursue a career in Real Estate. I wanted to learn more and more about each company and expand my network. UREC gave me this opportunity, and I am grateful for the resources, advice, and experiences that helped me become more educated about the industry and land my dream internship for the summer.

Esquer: Naturally, my interests in CRE have led me to the Real Estate Club. CRE feels very niche at Kenan-Flagler in an otherwise consulting/IB centric student population. However, RE has increased in popularity tremendously giving students more opportunities, and I hope that more people will look into CRE as a potential career path.

Why did you decide to apply for the president position of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club? 

Wallace: I decided to apply for the president position of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club because I want to serve as a leader in this community at Carolina and help others narrow down their interests like the Undergraduate Real Estate Club and the Wood Center at Kenan-Flagler helped me.

Esquer: Through previous leadership experiences, my favorite memories come from building connections with people whom I otherwise would not have met. Being that I’m interested in finance and real estate, I wanted to get involved with UREC and meet students with similar interests and have the opportunity to help other students through career navigation and know that I left Carolina leaving a meaningful impact and being a part of a community even though COVID made things difficult. That being said, I am always an open book for anyone who’s interested in reaching out!

What is your vision for the club during your term?  

Wallace: During my term, my vision for the club is to continue to foster an inclusive and collaborative environment for undergraduate students interested in real estate. I hope to continue to do this by partnering with other clubs on campus to organize panels, networking events, and partake in many community service opportunities in Chapel Hill and surrounding areas. Also, I hope to continue providing resources for students to practice and expand their quantitative and qualitative skillset to prepare them for interviews and other professional events.

Esquer: Recruiting is very difficult and oftentimes you’re expected to know technical before you even take classes on the information. My goal is to provide students with as many resources as possible and support them in their endeavors. Being able to provide interview prep, modeling courses, mentorships and building a community is most important to me.

How do you believe you can positively impact the UNC real estate community? 

Wallace: I believe I can positively impact the UNC real estate community because by being in a leadership position, I can continue to carry on the mission of the Undergraduate real estate community by serving as a resource, support, and example for students interested in real estate.

Esquer: I think creating an environment that fosters relationships and encourages people to learn from each other is the best place to start and is extremely important. RE is often described as being much of a ‘who you know’ industry and connecting with people through UREC is extremely beneficial. I hope to also bridge the gap between alumni and undergraduate students, and help willing alumni stay connected and serve as a resource for undergraduate students

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Wallace: In five years, my goal is to be working in investments or development within the multifamily asset class. I hope to continue learning more about the industry and take advantage of any opportunity to expand my knowledge and challenge myself to continue to grow in this industry.

Esquer: One of the things that drew me to CRE is that there’s so many options in what from the outside seems like a very narrow industry. I hope to start out on the debt side and get deal exposure, but in the next 5 years, I would like to jump over to the equity side as an acquisition’s analyst and continue learning the business from that side.

Other leadership positions for the Undergraduate Real Estate Club were also selected last month and are listed below.

Learning & Development (L&D) Chairs: Kevin Cowan and Raghavendra Lahoti

L&D Analysts: Anna Donahoo and Sarah Crow

Communications Chair: Michael Sisson

Communications Analysts: Emily Shih and Elizabeth Kohn

Student Relations Chair: Evan Schwartz

Student Relations Analysts: Henry Leasure and Collin Walsh

Treasurer: Lindsey Klinck

Operations Chair: Liam Torres

Operations Analysts: Jack Sweeter

DE&I Co-Chairs: Tjaden Durham and Virginia Troutman

The Undergraduate Real Estate Club is open to all UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate students. If you have an interest in Real Estate or simply want to learn more, please join by emailing UNC_RealEstateClub@unc.edu or join the club’s GroupMe: https://groupme.com/join_group/84462905/1Bejw1U3