Zachary Beynon is a full-time masters student in the Edward St. John Department of Real Estate at Johns Hopkins University. Like his classmate Leonard Murphy, Zachary was nice enough to take the time to add his insight into the program.
What was your background in real estate prior to the program?
I worked the prior seven years with two firms in Salt Lake City that raised capital for private commercial real estate offerings. We specialized in tenant-in-common 1031 exchange driven investment structures. I spent time analyzing the underlying real estate asset, traveling around the country raising investment capital and managing the internal operations of the companies.
What other programs did you look at besides Johns Hopkins and why did you choose Johns Hopkins over the other programs?
The programs I looked at seriously were MIT and Columbia on the East Coast and the University of Denver, University of San Diego, USC on the West coast. I choose Hopkins due to there PT program structure and the opportunity to attend school and learn the real estate market in DC. I worked with several companies in DC with my prior work and they spoke very highly of the program and the students that came from it.
Are the professors primarily full-time or part-time? Do the part-time professors make themselves accessible outside the classroom?
The professor are part-time practitioners who have successful careers in the areas in which they teach. They have all made themselves accessible outside the classroom.
Do you notice a variation of the material taught by different professors of the same course?
I haven’t noticed a variation yet and they really only have one professor that teaches each course.
What kind of opportunities does the program provide to students outside the classroom?
The program puts a strong focus on networking and does a decent job putting together panel discussions, networking events, guest speakers, etc. Students usually get discounts to local events and conferences and they seem to work in conjunction with ULI on many things.
How is the programs career counseling? Do they actively help students find summer internships and full-time positions? How willing are alumni in assisting current students?
This is an area that they are working on building up but in its current stage is somewhat weak. Since this is a part-time program right now, the student currently hold a full time job while they are attending classes are not typically looking for summer internships or actively on the job hunt. Alumni seem to be very willing to talk with current students and are actively involved as guest lecturers in the program. The alumni base is strong and respected in the DC area.
What are your future aspirations in real estate and how has this program helped you to get closer to your goals?
I ultimately want to start my own real estate investment firm. Acquiring, managing, developing, repositioning, etc. The program will be a good stepping stone to get me to the right places to prepare me for my future ventures. I have already made many acquaintances that will be solid resources in the future.
Is there anything else about the program you think people should know?
This is a good program to get to know the local market (speaking from a student at the DC campus). The program has a very hands on approach. The professor are able teach you where the rubber really meets the road as they’re on the front lines everyday.
Rate the various aspects of the program from 1-10, 10 being the best:
Professors: 9
Curriculum: 8
Career Counseling: 4
Outside Opportunities: 9
Overall Rating: 9
Feel free to post any questions you may have about the Edward St. John Department of Real Estate in the comments below and I’ll reach out to Zachary or Leonard for answers.
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