The real estate industry is about building growth — both literally and figuratively — so it makes sense that the Jindal School’s Real Estate Concentration follows suit.
Since their launch in 2011, the concentrations have grown significantly. Dr. Randall S. Guttery has spearheaded that growth since he joined the JSOM faculty in 2012 as director of real estate programs.
Guttery and associate director George DeCourcy have seen the number of students taking real estate courses nearly quadruple, with 545 students enrolled in the various undergraduate and graduate offerings.
Concentration options continue to expand. Undergrads can focus on real estate within the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Bachelor of Science in Finance degree programs. Graduate students can pursue it within the MBA, Master of Science in Management Science and Master of Science in Finance programs.
A student-led Real Estate Club has launched and now has more than 150 members. Members pay no dues and are welcome no matter their major. They go on field trips, hear from guest speakers, develop their professional networks and get industry exposure along the way.
“I’ve told them it’s their club, not mine,” Guttery said. ‘They’re responsible for everything. It’s great for teaching them the ropes of the business world, especially with respect to developing leadership qualities.”Guttery works across the real estate spectrum — with investors, developers, the finance side of lending, the legal side and with IT specialists in geographic information system and other software — to not only provide them access to the intellectual capital of JSOM’s faculty and staff but to also fill their needs for talent.
Guttery and DeCourcy match students with internships, mentoring and shadowing opportunities, part-time and even full-time jobs.
Word has gotten around, with students flocking to the courses. “My Real Estates Principles classes were all full before the 2016 fall semester even began,” Guttery said. “I had to move to bigger classrooms twice over the summer just to try to accommodate the demand, and even then the classes have filled up.”
Guttery says he has dedicated his career “to advancing other people’s careers. I try to give my students the fundamentals, but I also spend a lot of time introducing them to very successful people in the marketplace, many of whom happen to be UT Dallas grads and are very successful commercial real estate investors.”
One such JSOM graduate is William (Bill) Guthrey, MBA ’95, senior vice president and partner at KDC Real Estate Development and Investments. Among his firm’s current projects is the $1.5 billion CityLine development, home to 8,000 North Texas employees, including those in State Farm’s new regional hub. As one of the members of Guttery’s real estate advisory board, Guthrey provides market feedback regarding the skill sets needed to be relevant in the industry.
“On a personal level, being on the board has given me an opportunity to give back as a mentor,” Guthrey says. “It’s been rewarding to be able to encourage and guide young people with wisdom on transitioning from school to the workforce.”
