These UA students are networking across the country + scoring big jobs—find out how

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Students involved with the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) are gaining more than just career skills in college—they’re attending national conferences, networking with industry professionals and acquiring real-world experience before they’ve even graduated.

We spoke with three University of Alabama students to discuss how they’re jump-starting their real estate careers through ACRE.

What is ACRE?

Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) serves as a bridge between UA students and the real estate world, fostering economic and workforce development within our state.

Most recently, ACRE students attended the 2024 ICSC Las Vegas Conference, a three-day gathering of dealmakers and industry experts driving innovation in commercial real estate across the country.

1. Building experience + navigating professional challenges

According to student Lauren Thomas, one of the main components of the conference was a student case study competition:

“We were given a random plot of land and had to figure out what to build there to make it as profitable as possible. We ran numbers and did market research to figure out what we were going to do with the specific property that they gave us, and then presented the final result.”

Lauren Thomas, ACRE student

Students who attend the conference annually have the opportunity to hone their skills throughout college.

“My junior year was the first year I participated, and then I came back again this year and I had a much better understanding of what to do. It definitely gives you that real-world view of how things might be.”

Cole Berryman, ACRE student

2. Networking with industry professionals nationwide

Most people in the corporate world will tell you that the easiest way to get a job is to know someone. In real estate, networking and building relationships are particularly crucial for success.

“The spaces that you get to be in are a real advantage, because ICSC actually isn’t even a student conference. There is a student competition, but at the conference, you are networking with brokers or city councilmen on a professional level. So we got to talk to those people, and they got to see us being interested in real estate and taking it seriously.”

Carri Roper, ACRE student

The conference gives students an opportunity to build relationships with industry professionals from around the country:

“Many of us made a lot of valuable connections that may be useful as we graduate in a few years. One thing we learned is that real estate is a very small community, and everyone knows everyone.”

Lauren Thomas, ACRE student

3. Building confidence

Starting your first job after college can be intimidating, especially as a younger, less-experienced employee.

For recent University of Alabama graduate Cole Berryman, joining ACRE pushed him to get out of his comfort zone and overcome the nerves.

“​​I didn’t start participating in these kinds of things until a couple years ago, because I’m not very naturally extroverted. For me, going up to talk to folks and doing that whole portion of the business isn’t necessarily easy, and it’s gotten easier, but it’s not something that just comes to me naturally.

You just kind of have to get over being scared or nervous. You do that enough times and you see you’ll be fine.”

Cole Berryman, ACRE student

Since graduating in May, Cole has already secured a job as a broker in Nashville. According to Cole, ACRE provided him with confidence and a support system to rely on.

“One of the main things ACRE gave me was just bringing me out of my shell. Everyone was pushing me to my potential. I’ve met a ton of people in the industry that I wouldn’t have known. ACRE was really the root of it all, whether directly or indirectly.”

Cole Berryman, ACRE student

Learn more about how Alabama Center for Real Estate supports students’ career goals.

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