Cornell Students Broaden Their Horizons with Spring Trek 2010

On March 4th and 5th Cornell’s Program in Real Estate (PRE) hosted the 2010 Spring Trek in New York City. This two-day event featured numerous career-related panels and presentations, and culminated with the Cornell Real Estate Council’s regional meeting.

Upon arrival in New York City, students gathered at the Cornell Club to hear presentations from Cornellians working in real estate-related functions with five prominent companies:

  • Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
  • Ernst & Young
  • Brookfield Properties
  • Real Estate & Lodging Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan Securites, Inc.
  • Toll Brothers

The panelists covered many topics, ranging from their company’s operations to tips for engaging companies during a job or internship search. These presentations were a new addition to the Trek, and gave students detailed insight into the career paths of their predecessors. “The Program in Real Estate alumni panel was a powerful addition to the Trek this year. Students were afforded the opportunity to learn from PRE trailblazers. These individuals shared their experiences in the Program and talked about their career paths,” said Kimberlee Swartz, PRE Coordinator of Career Services.

The Cornell Real Estate Council (CREC) regional meeting took place in the Cornell Club’s Ivy Room with over 50 CREC members in attendance. The guest speaker was Charles Wait, President of Adirondack Trust Company, and one of three Class-A board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Students and alumni had the opportunity to network before and after Mr. Wait’s remarks. Afterwards, students enjoyed the world-class night life of New York City.

On March 5th students attended presentations made on location by Related Companies and Real Capital Analytics. Michael Loughran, Senior Vice President, Related Companies, gave an informative presentation to students at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Mr. Loughran shared some of the many challenges and anecdotes that he experienced as project manager during the development of the Time Warner Center.

After touring the Time Warner Center, students travelled south to the offices of Real Capital Analytics. There Cornell students were provided lunch, followed by a presentation from Robert M. White, Jr., founder and president, Sam Chandan, global chief economist and executive vice president, and Dan Fasulo, managing director of research. With the detail and precision that Real Capital Analytics is known for, these three professionals gave a detailed account of the current economic and credit market trends, along with recent investment activity.

The 2010 Spring Trek to New York City provided PRE and MBA students with the opportunity to network with a broad range of real estate professionals, and it acted as a catalyst for many students’ job searches. “Relationship building is crucial in any profession, and especially in real estate,” said Kimberlee Swartz “It’s important for students to build relationships with individuals from all levels of an organization, particularly those individuals that are currently working at, or just above, the level where students will enter an organization. These people play a crucial role in the hiring decision process.”

All members of Cornell’s Associate Real Estate Council (AREC) are encouraged to participate in future Treks. If you would like more information on the Cornell’s Spring Trek, or are interested in hosting Cornell students at future events, please contact the Associate Real Estate Council at AREC@cornell.edu Specific information can also be obtained by contacting Kimberlee Swartz, Program in Real Estate Career Services Coordinator at kms273@cornell.edu or by calling 607-255-8369.