Bringing real estate lessons to life in Chile
This October, Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate students traveled to Santiago, Chile for a week-long experiential learning opportunity. Two of these students, Paige Winters and Andrew Dale, reflect on what they learned and experienced in Chile’s capital city.
MSRE student Paige Winters in Santiago, Chile.
By Paige Winters, BBA ’18, MSRE ’19
Throughout my time at the University of Florida, I hoped to study abroad for a summer semester, but the programs I was interested in never worked out with my schedule. However, this past week I got a brief taste of the study abroad experience when my fellow Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) students and I went to Santiago, Chile.
We spent a week exploring the capital city and hearing from many distinguished real estate professionals. Some of the offices we visited and presentations we heard included Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Territoria, Independencia Asset Management, CBRE and Carey Law Firm. The premise of our trip was to gather market research in order to value a new and innovative property that will be completed in 2021. In order to gain the necessary information to accurately valuate the project, we had a networking reception with the partners of the project, Territoria and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and with students from the MSRE program at the University of the Andes. The Territoria and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority team is full of passion for their upcoming mixed-use project, and after their presentation, I am sold on coming back to visit in a few years when it’s finished!
When we weren’t meeting with reputable Chilean real estate companies, our tour guide named Fina was showing us Chile’s most famous spots. She planned a great week for us that included going horseback riding in the Andes mountains, relaxing at the Cajon del Maipo lodge, visiting to the Sky Constanera Observatory, which is the tallest office building in Latin America, and tasting wine at the Kingston Family Vineyards, which is known for their fantastic wine as well as being the subject of a well-known case study published in the Harvard Business Review. Fina was a great addition to our trip and made sure that we experienced all that Santiago and the surrounding areas had to offer.
In my opinion, the most valuable portion of the trip was spending time with my classmates outside of the traditional classroom setting. The real estate industry is heavily based on relationship building, and this trip allowed me to foster connections with people who I will be working with for the rest of my career. The trip and city as a whole far exceeded my expectations, and I know I speak for all of us who went when I say that I can’t wait to come back!
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Andrew Dale, right, with fellow MSRE student Grant Wishner in Chile.
By Andrew Dale, BSBA ’18, MSRE ’19
As an MSRE student, I am constantly challenged to find solutions and rationale behind commercial real estate investment decisions. During the week of October 13-19, our graduate class traveled to Santiago, Chile to find yet another solution and valuation for a one of a kind mixed-use retail and office development located in the heart of the financial district.
While in Chile, I worked with four classmates where we identified the risks in investing abroad. We visited the offices of CBRE, Indepencia Asset Management, Territoria and Carey Law Firm to obtain a stronger understanding of the Santiago real estate market and gain insightful information for our case study presentation. We also had the opportunity to network with Master of Real Estate students at the University of Los Andes and employees of the development company Territoria. The team behind Territoria reminded me of development companies here in the U.S., very innovative and passionate about their projects, while having the consumer in mind.
Along with the professional development opportunity, we had the chance to immerse ourselves in a culture completely different from Gainesville. When we were not meeting with companies, we went horseback riding in the Andes, wine tasting at the Kingston Family Vineyard, and toured the Costanera Center (the tallest building in South America). Exploring Chile in all its wonder with my fellow classmates was the most valuable experience from this trip and is a treasure I will have with me for the rest of my career.
Interested in learning about real estate through real-world experiences like this? Request information about the Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate program.
