Real Estate Undergrads Travel to Germany for Expo Real Conference

When Brad Olsen, President of Atlantic Partners, Ltd., visited Sharon McCabe’s undergraduate real estate course as a guest lecturer in the spring ’07, he encouraged the students to organize a trip to Expo Real, one of the largest international real estate conferences in the world held in Munich, Germany each year.  Olsen’s suggestion piqued the students’ interest and initiated a grassroots effort which materialized into a successful trip to Expo Real in October of 2007.

Led by Sharon McCabe, senior lecturer and assistant director for the Graaskamp Center, eleven undergraduate students took advantage of the unique opportunity to meet and speak with real estate professionals and distinguished leaders of the international real estate community at Expo Real.  Michael Scotti, a real estate MBA student who previously lived and worked in Germany, served as translator for the trip.

In return for locating sponsorship funds for the trip, Olsen requested that the students write a report focusing on international real estate prior to the conference.  The students responded with enthusiasm and presented Olsen with a preliminary investment report which presented real estate investment data on specific countries, including Italy, Russia, and Sweden. While at the Expo Real Conference, students were able to visit booths from those countries, speak with exhibitors and gather data, so that they could incorporate more country-specific information into their final report. 

McCabe emphasizes that the conference had a significant impact on students, particularly those who have never had the opportunity to travel abroad, saying “It was a chance for the students to learn the nuances of real estate and other elements that cannot be taught in a classroom. The experience really opened their eyes to the world of global real estate.”

Undergraduate student Gretchen Frankenthal, who traveled to the Expo Real, enthusiastically agrees. She found it to be not only a positive experience from a cultural perspective, it also provided exciting networking opportunities. For Frankenthal, who aspires to work in the international real estate world, it was particularly advantageous. She recalls, “I walked away with at least four people who I think will be great contacts for the future.”

With the help of sponsors, McCabe hopes that the trip can become an annual event.

Special thanks to AFIRE, Principal Real Estate Investors and Brad Olson of Atlantic Properties for their sponsorship and support of the trip.