A bittersweet meeting marked the end of the 2024-2025 school year for Real Estate Club. Students and faculty met at the Pyle Center for a graduation party, sharing past memories in the program and future plans for summer internships and full time jobs. As always, the meeting featured a strong panel of speakers. Six prominent Real Estate professors and lecturers shared career advice, favorite memories, and insights into the real estate industry while poking fun at their past mistakes and fellow panelists. Greg Reed, Bill Camp, Joe Walsh, Chase Zadnik, Tim Carr, and Tim Pire made up the panel moderated by Real Estate Club presidents Will Ross and Mitchell Carroll. Together, the panelists had decades of real estate industry experience before entering the academic world.
Questions started with what was the most important thing students should take away from courses. The panelists each shared important aspects of real estate, including seeing the built environment in a different light, understanding how relationship focused the industry is, and being willing to speak out in a group of people. Most importantly, they shared students should learn to push themselves to continue to learn more and to understand the why behind the work they are doing. Within the takeaways, many jokes were shared and the two Tims were labeled as Tim One and Tim Two.
Panelists also shared the best piece of advice they received early in their career. Bill Camp shared he was told to never compare himself to coworkers and to instead focus on doing his job well. Joe Walsh shared that things don’t happen because they should happen, they happen because they can happen — instructing students to look at people’s incentives and what needs to happen for a deal to work. Tim Pire also shared that you need to figure out the big picture to create optionality: if you think you know everything, you actually don’t. Some panelists shared early career mistakes and lessons they learned the hard way while giving advice.
Will Ross and Mitch Carroll bravely asked what younger generations might be lacking as they enter the real estate industry. Greg Reed tackled the question head-on, sharing that many young professionals are afraid of making mistakes. Joe Walsh added that students shouldn’t assume the internet has all the answers — real estate is an information business, and you need to talk to people and get out into the neighborhoods to uncover the insights that can make or break a deal. Tim Pire emphasized the importance of staying current with world events, especially by seeking out perspectives you might disagree with. He encouraged students to read three different news sources each day to stay informed and well-rounded.
Questions were also heard from the audience. Greg Reed was asked what it was like learning under James Graaskamp. Greg shared that while Graaskamp was a fast talker and could be intimidating at times, he was a pioneer who pushed for diversity of thought and challenged conventional wisdom. Greg noted that Graaskamp’s impact continues to shape how he runs the master’s program today, particularly emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the classroom. Many other audience members posed questions to the group or specific panelists. Marsha Camp, Bill Camp’s wife, asked what everyone’s walk-up song would be — and why Bill was prematurely grey.
The panelists were also asked if any memories from chaperoning class field trips and real estate club treks specifically stood out. Greg shared about a specific Group Me chat occurring during a trip to Chicago after a WREAA reception, as well as navigating London streets with MBA students. Students involved in the Group Me chat laughed remembering their experiences.
Near the end of the night, the panelists were asked the question every student wanted to ask: did you have a favorite student? Bill Camp answered as truthfully as possible: I miss all of my classes, they are all awesome.
Overall, the event was the perfect way to end the semester. Even with an uncertain job market, graduates were able to celebrate their achievements with their peers and reminisce on past real estate club events. Real estate club meetings like these highlight the strength of the Wisconsin Real Estate Program and the amazing alumni network. Thank you to WREAA for continued co-sponsoring of real estate club graduation celebrations and thank you to Greg Reed, Associate Director of the Graaskamp Center, for all his work serving as the faculty Real Estate Club Advisor.