Greetings, colleagues and friends of UNO Real Estate…
Hard to believe that the fall semester is coming to a close. Where does the time go?
Before closing out 2016, we would like to share some UNO Real Estate happenings with you through this, our second, Center newsletter. We hope you enjoy it, as the fall semester has been filled with inspiring events, milestones, and opportunities … we are excited about the future!
The UNO Real Estate Center staff wishes you and yours a joyous Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year! We’re looking forward to working with you in 2017 as we continue to build upon this great UNO Real Estate legacy.
Be sure to like the UNO Real Estate Center on Facebook.
UNO Real Estate Program Approved by the Appraisal Qualifications Board
The path to secure a real estate appraisal license could now be shorter for some University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration graduates.
In late August, the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) approved CBA’s bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in real estate. This approval now allows graduates to satisfy up to 90 percent of the educational hours needed to become an appraiser by the time they graduate.
UNO is now among just 10 universities in the nation vetted through this review program, established to recognize quality undergraduate and graduate real estate programs and attract qualified candidates to the appraisal profession. Here is the list of AQB-approved undergraduate institutions:
Colorado State University
Indiana University
Lehigh University
Texas A&M University
University of Denver
University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Northern Iowa
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Virginia Commonwealth University
The AQB review included a thorough review of course materials, textbooks, and learning objectives as well as a site visit. Approval is subject to renewal every three years. View UNO’s approval letter.
The Appraiser Qualifications Board is part of the Appraisal Foundation, which sets congressionally authorized standards and qualifications for the valuation profession. To learn more, visit www.appraisalfoundation.org.
Real Estate Center Events
Real Estate Center Symposium
On August 26, the Real Estate Center hosted 150+ Omaha-Lincoln real estate practitioners at Mammel Hall for its inaugural community symposium and networking event. The seminar session began with an update on the College of Business Administration, presented by Dr. Louis Pol, the Dean of the College, and was followed by presentations from Dr. Steve Shultz and David Beberwyk on initiatives underway at the Real Estate Center.
The session culminated with talks from two captivating keynote speakers, who shared their experiences with attendees and offered the following talks:
Six Facts, Two Myths, One Rumor, and One Lie About the Real Estate Industry
Presented by Dr. Lowell “Duke” Kuehn, Emeritus Professor at Evergreen State College and Founder of Pacific Northwest Consulting Services. Duke specializes in providing strategic planning services to real estate firms, networks, and associations, and for the past 20 years, has worked with top firms in major markets across North America.
Omaha’s Economic Development Campaign: “Omaha - We Don’t Coast”
Presented by David Brown, President and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. David has 30 years of experience in economic development and chamber experience and has successfully led 563 projects for Omaha, which has resulted in more than 27,000 jobs and $5.2 billion in capital investments for the region.
We are grateful that these gentlemen were able to be a part of the Real Estate Center’s inaugural symposium. Thank you, Duke and David!
Overall, feedback about the seminar session and networking event was very positive, and the lessons learned from the inaugural event will guide planning for the second event in 2017. Specific date will be announced in the Spring Newsletter.
Real Estate Center Research Presentation
On December 5, Dr. Steve Shultz presented findings of his ongoing research to faculty, students, and members of the real estate community. The talk was titled, “Using Mass Appraisal Regression Modelling to Calculate Depreciation Rates for Single-Family Housing - A Case Study of Sarpy County, NE."
The Real Estate Center plans to offer several research seminars per year, with an emphasis on topics of interest to the local real estate community. If you are interested in learning more about this topic or other research areas being conducted at the Real Estate Center, please email us (realestate@unomaha.edu).
Real Estate Student Enrollment & Practitioner Participation in the Classroom
As reported in the inaugural Real Estate Center newsletter, student interest in UNO Real Estate classes has increased dramatically over the past 18 months, and this trend continued for the fall semester: there were 109 students enrolled in our Principles & Practices classes this semester.
As a result of this renewed interest in real estate and our high pipeline class enrollment, the number of students declaring a Real Estate concentration has risen by 50% over the past year, reaching a decade high of 64 students.
We are excited by this spike in real estate students, as it will enable the Real Estate Center to better serve the real estate community and fulfill one of its key objectives: Meet the industry’s ever-increasing demand for competent real estate professionals by attracting and recruiting students from various disciplines.
Speaking of the industry, we are grateful to the many real estate professionals who gave of their time during the fall semester to enhance the classroom learning experience. A heartfelt THANK YOU to the following individuals who visited our classes:
Jerry Banks - Jerry Banks Investment GroupAimee Lowe - Nebraska Title
Ralph Palmer - Security National Bank
Michael Phelps - Great Western Bank
Zach Reinhardt - First Westroads Bank
Lisa Ritter - REMAX Results
Eric Rose - Cresa Real Estate
Wendy Walker - Nebraska Title
Mark Wehner II - Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
John Wiechmann - Midwest Housing Equity Group
ARGUS Enterprise Certification Class
After much planning and work over the past year, we are pleased to announce that the UNO Real Estate Center will offer an ARGUS Enterprise certification class during the spring semester. ARGUS Enterprise certification will expand students’ post-graduation career options and provide employers with analysts who are skilled in using this industry-standard real estate asset management software.
This ARGUS certification opportunity will be offered through UNO’s Real Estate Investments class (RELU 4390) and will be held on Thursdays (3:00-5:40 PM) at Mammel Hall. It is open to Real Estate students, as well as motivated students from other disciplines.
If you would like additional information about the course, please email the Real Estate Center (realestate@unomaha.edu).
ARGUS is an industry standard software in commercial real estate that focuses on real estate cash flow projection, transaction analysis, and asset valuation.
UNO Real Estate Center Hosts AQB Community Forum
As a result of the Appraiser Qualifications Board’s (AQB) favorable review of the UNO Real Estate Program and its distinct integration with the real estate appraisal community, the AQB chose UNO over nine other institutions for its forum on addressing challenges for students wishing to enter the appraisal profession.
On October 12, the UNO Real Estate Center hosted the AQB forum, which included members of the Nebraska appraisal and real estate communities, as well as faculty and real estate students. In addition to reviewing the education requirements necessary to enter the appraisal profession and discussing how UNO’s approval will enhance access to the profession, the AQB gleaned valuable insights from attendees about revamping experiential requirements for new appraisers.
According to Greg Harding of the AQB, “The results of this successful forum will shape the next edition of the AQB’s policy publication, which will remove barriers to entering the profession and guide national appraisal qualification standards for years to come ... thank you UNO!”
The UNO Real Estate Center and AQB wish to thank the following participants for sharing of their time and expertise for this worthwhile forum:
Jack Baines - Chief Appraiser, Douglas County Assessors OfficeDiane Battiato - Douglas County Assessor
David Beberwyk - Director of Outreach & Education, UNO RE Center
John Bredemeyer - Owner & Chief Appraiser, Realcorp Inc.
Louis Brunning - UNO Real Estate Student
John Cherica - Citywide Appraisals Inc.
Greg Harding - Appraisal Qualification Board
Mark Holmes - Seldin-Metonic
Erin Howard - UNO Real Estate Student
Tyler Kohtz - Director, Nebraska Real Property Appraiser Board
Kevin Kroeger - Valuation Services Inc.
Larry Miller - Chief Deputy Douglas County Assessor
Gregg Mitchell - Mitchell & Associates Inc.
Lou Pol - Dean, UNO College of Business Administration
Roger Porter - Q10 Daisley Ruff
Steven Shultz - Director of Research, UNO RE Center
Ryan Vaughan - Appraiser, US Army Corps of Engineers-Omaha
Rho Epsilon Real Estate Society Update
The fall has been an exciting time for Rho Epsilon … new officers, great activities, and a lot of first-rate opportunities to interact with the Omaha real estate community have made for a great semester! First off, here are the student and alumni officers for the 2016-2017 school year:
Student Officers
President: Tyler English
Vice President: Louis Brunning
Secretary: Erin Howard
Treasurer: Ryan Liberty
Alumni Officers
President: John Bredemeyer, Realcorp Inc.
Secretary: Zach Reinhard, First Westroads Bank
Treasurer: Roger Porter, Q10 Daisley Ruff
Historian: John Layman, Layman & Associates
In October, key members of Seldin Company’s Asset Management and Property Management teams led 25 real estate students through a comprehensive case study of Cedarwood Apartments, followed by a field trip to the property. The study and site visit were both riveting for students and provided key insights into the decision-making involved in acquiring, managing, and improving a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property. A special thanks to the Seldin Team for taking time from their busy schedules to work with our students: Trey Simpson, Mark Holmes, Sandy Boyles, Seth Perkins
Later in October, Rho Epsilon hosted a 10-person panel composed of members of the local chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). The panel, which provided the students with information on becoming a property manager, generated considerable discussion and interest in the property management career field. Many thanks to the panel:
Sahar Al-Turk, NAI NP Dodge
Tiffany Behrens, IREM - Chapter 12
Max Bogard, CBRE | MEGA
Dave Gibbs, NAI NP Dodge
Sarah Goldman, Beacon Management
Katie Hurst, Robert Hancock
Kaitlin Lipari, Seldin
Lana Odeh, World Group/Seldin
Lauren Orsi, Robert Hancock
Brandy Poore, Seldin
Mariel Samuels, Seldin
Chris Young, Landmark Group
In November, principals from PJ Morgan Real Estate shared their extensive experience with Rho Epsilon students and encouraged them to always follow their dreams and seek excellence. Because PJ Morgan engages in all aspects of the real estate business, students were able to get many of their questions answered in a one-stop shop format. We appreciated the great presentation (and bakery-fresh cookies!) provided by the following individuals from PJ Morgan: PJ Morgan, Ryan Estes, Susan Clark
The last Rho Epsilon meeting of the semester featured the talents of on-air personalities Trenton Magid and Jeff Beals, commercial brokers with NAI NP Dodge. With years of Omaha commercial real estate market experience, they provided students a holistic view of the industry. Students will not forget the presentation and wisdom imparted by the Grow Omaha hosts. Thanks again, Trenton and Jeff!
Faculty Spotlight - Brent Rasmussen, CMC
If you’ve been in Mammel Hall on Thursday evenings this semester, you have likely bumped into our newest adjunct real estate faculty member: Brent Rasmussen.
When UNO was looking for a professor to teach Residential Real Estate Finance (RELU 4400) over the summer, it was providential that Brent was available to teach the course. Brent is one of only 100 mortgage professionals in the U.S. to hold the coveted Certified Mortgage Consultant (CMC) certification, the highest credential available to mortgage professionals.
As an Omaha native, Brent is also a UNO alum whose areas of study included finance and small business management. Since becoming a mortgage loan originator in 2001, Brent has widely been recognized as a rising star by his peers, being named one of Omaha’s 40 Under 40 by Midlands Business Journal, and holding seats as president and treasurer of the Nebraska Association of Mortgage Brokers.
Brent is a gifted athlete who played baseball at UNO and was a minor league pitcher for the Gulf Coast Royals. He later led the Omaha Barons Wheelchair Softball Team to 10 national titles and also served as the captain of the Nebraska High Rollers Sitting Volleyball Team for 10 years, leading them to two national championships.
We are pleased to have Brent on board … his wealth of knowledge, years of experience, and energy are greatly enhancing the UNO Real Estate Program.
Student Spotlight
Few have more commitment and energy than Rho Epsilon’s current president, Tyler English, a junior in CBA. Tyler grew up in West Point, Nebraska, and moved to the “big city” to attend UNO to pursue his undergraduate education.
For Tyler, selecting real estate as a concentration for his business degree was an easy decision. In his words, “Choosing real estate was a pretty simple choice for me. I've always been someone who enjoyed working and saw real estate as an opportunity with unlimited growth potential based on the amount of work I put in. The career field also provides direct opportunities to give back to organizations that are working to better our community.”
Not content just to study real estate, Tyler obtained his Nebraska Salespersons license in 2015 and is actively selling homes with CBS Home Real Estate. He is active in the community and has been involved in fundraising events that raised $3,000 for Louisiana flood victims and $5,000 for leukemia research.
He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the recipient of the prestigious Goodrich Scholarship, along with two real estate scholarships: C. Glenn Lewis Scholarship and Hollis & Helen Baright Foundation Scholarship.
When Tyler isn’t busy working as a realtor or involved campus activities, he enjoys exploring restaurants and events. Tyler says, “There are so many new places and experiences to discover that there hasn't been a dull moment since I arrived.”
We’re glad he decided to attend UNO and are grateful for his many contributions to the Real Estate Program.
Save the Date - Friday, May 12, 2017
On Friday, May 12, a statue honoring C. Glenn Lewis, the founder of the UNO Real Estate Program in 1948, will be unveiled and dedicated at Mammel Hall.
Following the dedication ceremony, we will hold the 52nd annual Rho Epsilon Student Scholarship Banquet, honoring our top UNO real estate students for their academic achievements. We hope you’ll be able to join us!
UNO-Rho Epsilon Real Estate Scholarships
Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Scholarship (new)
C. Glenn Lewis Scholarship
RE/MAX Results Real Estate Excellence Scholarship
Omaha Area Board of Realtors (OABR) Scholarship
Dr. Rodger P. & Jeannine K. Sindt CBA Scholarship
BOMA/IFMA Scholarship
BOMA/Steve Cary Scholarship
M.C. Biggerstaff Memorial Scholarship
Ed Belgrade Scholarship
Jack Haley Scholarship
Hollis Baright Scholarship
SIOR Scholarship