UVA Student Real Estate Trek to Washington, DC and Northern Virginia – Fall 2023

Nearly 20 UVA students made their way to Washington, DC, on Oct. 26, 2023, for the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate’s fall trek. The two-day immersive experience, which included four company visits and a networking reception, was packed with valuable insights into various facets of and opportunities within the real estate industry, including development, brokerage, private real estate, and public real estate.

The trek kicked off at Carlyle, where students were treated with lunch and engaged in a session led by Zach Crowe (A&S ‘05), Madison Daley (McIntire ’18), Catherine Martchek (McIntire ’21), and Jade Newburn.  The session delved into the private equity firm’s real estate funds; the team also shared their investment process, from initial underwriting to disposition.

Next, the group met with Greystar in Arlington, where Leadi Cole (Darden ’18) and his team toured the students through two development sites at differing stages: The Commodore, a multifamily building, which is now fully developed and being leased up, and The Wendy, a nearby multifamily building still undergoing development.

That evening, the Center hosted a networking reception at UVA Darden Sands Family Grounds for students participating in the trek to meet and network with UVA real estate alumni in the DC area. Students enjoyed meeting new acquaintances and reconnecting with alumni they had met previously, while taking in the scenic views of the city from the rooftop terrace at Sands Family Grounds on a beautiful October evening.

On Friday morning, the students visited with Eastdil Secured in DC and participated in an interactive session led by Ian Banger and Sarah Riedel (A&S ‘16), who shared two case studies and delved into the details of a recent office portfolio sale, as well as how the office market landscape has evolved in the past few years.

The last stop of the trek was Reston, where students met with Rich Ellis (Darden ‘07) and Sean Sullivan (UVA ’06) from Boston Properties. The group had an insightful conversation regarding the vision for Reston Town Center and toured several buildings that are part of the latest development phase.  From there, the group boarded their motor coach and returned to Charlottesville on Friday evening.