More than 50 wide-eyed, 20-something college students gathered at the offices of ABR Capital Partners earlier this week to hear insights from professionals on how to build a sustainable career in the financial and real estate sectors in Baltimore.
Representatives of ABR Capital Partners, Greenberg Gibbons, Gordon Feinblatt, KLNB and MCB Real Estate participated in this year’s edition of the Charm City NextGen CRE Series. Started four years ago by Charlie Fenwick of Cushman & Wakefield and ABR Capital Partners’ Tom Burton, the summer sequence is designed to showcase career opportunities in Baltimore.
Danielle Stager Zoller, Gordon Feinblatt; Lawrence Lee Collins, ABR Capital Partners; Mason Bernstein, KLNB; Mark Gibbons, Greenberg Gibbons; and Jarnell Swecker, MCB Real Estate provide sage career advice to Charm City NextGen CRE participants. The session was moderated by Sarah Sedlak, SC&H Group (far right).
During the day, Charm City NextGen CRE participants work with local companies, including CBRE, SC&H Group, Merritt Properties, and St. John Properties. Four times during the summer, the group participates in educational, networking, and social activities, including attending a recent Orioles game sponsored by Stewart Title Guaranty Company. Future activities include a behind-the-scenes tour of Tradepoint Atlantic and a CRE market presentation.
“This is an exceptional way to give back to Baltimore and foster the next generation of leaders in the commercial real estate sector,” said Morgan Gilligan, Vice President-Division Manager for Stewart Title. “We have sponsored the skybox for the past four years because this experience offers the perfect environment for the interns to come together, forge relationships for the future, and discuss challenges and opportunities with their peer group. We see this as an investment in Baltimore’s future.”
“A point of emphasis this year was to showcase professionals who reflect the increasingly diverse makeup of the commercial real estate industry,” stated Peter Heller, Director, Acquisitions & Capital Markets for ABR Capital Partners. “We wanted students to see firsthand that there are meaningful opportunities in the industry for people from a wide range of backgrounds. While that may seem self-evident to those already in the profession, we felt it was important to ensure young people could envision themselves pursuing careers in commercial real estate.”
Henry Hoskins, a rising senior at the University of Richmond, is spending the summer at MCB Real Estate and experiencing a “rotational schedule” where he is gaining exposure to all facets of the commercial real estate industry. The finance major said he is focused on “the development side of the business, which features a mix of disciplines, while providing the opportunity to utilize my people skills.”
Hoskins is grateful for the Charm City experience, where he intends to “vigorously network and learn everything I can in a quick timeframe.”
Finance and Accounting major Lauren Shafer, a rising junior at Elon University, also has her sights set on a commercial real estate career because she likes “how tangible the industry is” and “how different aspects of real estate play important roles in the lives of people and businesses every day.”
Shafer, who is interning in Continental Realty Corporation’s accounting department, is especially drawn to the “people and relationship aspect” of the real estate industry.
Featured in this article: ABR Capital Partners CBRE Continental Realty Corporation Cushman & Wakefield Gordon Feinblatt Greenberg Gibbons KLNB MCB Real Estate St. John Properties SC&H Group Stewart Title Guaranty Company