A.CRE on the Road – University Speaking Schedule (Updated Mar 2023)
Michael and Spencer continue to take time every semester to engage with top real estate programs across the country to share their experience with students pursuing careers in commercial real estate. The Spring 2023 university speaking schedule continues that trend as the guys engage with aspiring professionals (both in person and virtually) from coast to coast and enjoy connecting with bright students looking to forge their own path into the industry. These opportunities energize both the work we do at Adventures in CRE and the academic studies of those that participate.
How Did We Get Here?
As many of you know, A.CRE emerged as two bright-eyed graduate students continued their adventure into commercial real estate at Cornell’s Baker Program in Real Estate. Spencer and Michael decided to share the answers to their own curiosity and create a website through which they could solidify their own skills and knowledge and help others that were going through the same process.
Whether it was learning to underwrite complex deal mechanics, recruiting, or even just simple questions related to CRE terms and basic concepts, they have shared their discovery process from the beginning. Their guiding motto has always been to have fun, driven by their passion for all things commercial real estate and a desire to help those with a similar passion break into the industry and succeed.
Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate 2014 Rec Basketball Team (Record: 0-10)
While known for both developing institutional quality models shared through the site and training professionals at top educational and financial institutions around the world, both Michael and Spencer choose to still work full-time in the industry. This is in addition to their efforts with A.CRE.
Between the two of them, they have worked at some of the largest institutional investment and development firms in the world. They are founding members of Stablewood Properties, and both have pursued and continue to pursue various entrepreneurial and personal CRE investment opportunities.
How Can A.CRE Help Your Program?
Simply put, the guys love commercial real estate and enjoy paying forward the help and experience they’ve received along the way to those in the same situation they found themselves in while at school. Along those lines, and to date, they have met with dozens of university real estate programs and over 500 students. They have also partnered with numerous universities in offering the Accelerator program to train the next generation of professionals leading the industry.
These engagements have catered to whatever these programs found to be most helpful and have included some of the following topics:
- Sharing their CRE background and journey
- Mock interviews and career advice
- Founding a CRE investment firm
- Thoughts on why financial modeling skills are important for those entering the industry
- Background to the Accelerator
- General CRE questions and topics
Let’s Connect!
If your program is interested in connecting with Michael and Spencer, we still have spots available on the university speaking schedule for the current and upcoming semesters. Please send us a message or connect with our colleague, Tucker Wells, who manages our university outreach. We look forward to sharing in your adventures in CRE!
Frequently Asked Questions about the A.CRE University Speaking Schedule and Engagements
What is the purpose of the A.CRE university speaking schedule?
Michael and Spencer speak at top real estate programs across the country to share career insights, industry experience, and to help students break into commercial real estate. These sessions aim to inspire and educate future professionals.
What types of topics do Michael and Spencer cover during university visits?
They discuss their CRE career journey, mock interviews, founding a CRE firm, importance of financial modeling, an overview of the Accelerator, and answer general questions about the CRE industry.
How did A.CRE get started?
A.CRE began as a project by Spencer and Michael while they were graduate students at Cornell’s Baker Program in Real Estate. They created the site to document their learning and help others entering the CRE industry.
Do Spencer and Michael still work in real estate outside of A.CRE?
Yes, both continue to work full-time in the CRE industry. They are co-founders of Stablewood Properties and remain active in investment and development projects alongside their work with A.CRE.
How can a university request a visit from A.CRE?
Programs can reach out directly through the A.CRE contact form or by connecting with Tucker Wells, who manages university outreach and helps schedule speaking engagements.
What benefits do students gain from these engagements?
Students receive career guidance, exposure to real-world industry experience, technical modeling advice, and insights into succeeding in commercial real estate from practitioners who have navigated the field themselves.
What is the A.CRE Accelerator and how does it relate to university visits?
The A.CRE Accelerator is a comprehensive training program in real estate financial modeling. During university visits, it’s often introduced as a resource to help students build practical, institutional-quality modeling skills.
