Major: Real Estate
When you and your friends have game night, do you always want to play Monopoly? And once you’ve snatched up Park Place and Broadway, are you the type of player who will wheel and deal until you’ve built hotels everywhere? If so, you may want to study real estate.
Real estate professionals are the masters of buying and building property all over the world. These business people know how to make investments pay off, and once you graduate you’ll be ready to join them.
Real estate majors learn how to develop, appraise, purchase, and sell land, houses, and buildings.
“It's tangible, it's solid, it's beautiful. It's artistic, from my standpoint, and I just love real estate.”
Donald Trump, Real Estate Mogul
Are You Ready To...?
- Practice putting a value on property
- Study both business and residential real estate
- Understand international real estate markets and economies
- Learn how to close deals
It Helps to Be...
A persuasive team player who’s good with numbers. You’ll also need to follow through on a project and seal the deal. This is a great major if you like to make decisions and build things.
College Checklist
- Is the school of business accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business?
- Are there classes that will help you pass your state’s licensing exams for real estate agents and brokers?
- What is the reputation of the program in the real estate community?
- Does the program focus more on commercial or residential real estate?
- What are the faculty’s accomplishments? Have they had successful real estate careers?
- Will you have access to top-notch computer programs and equipment?
- Are there opportunities to work with professors and the real estate community?
Did You Know?
- In 2004, Lakshmi Mittal, a steel tycoon, bought the most expensive house in the world. His new digs? A 12-bedroom mansion in London that cost him a cool $128 million.
Course Spotlight
Nearly all real estate programs will include a course in real estate law. That’s because law is the backbone of real estate. If you become a real estate agent, you’ll need to draw up contracts and know the rights of buyers and sellers. By the time you finish the semester, you should know the basics of everything from escrow to foreclosure.
