Center for Real Estate Hosts Spring Student Trek to Richmond

On Friday, February 7, 2025, University of Virginia students embarked on the Spring Real Estate Trek to Richmond, VA, organized by the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate and Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management. The trek provided an invaluable opportunity for students to explore the dynamic real estate industry and engage with leading professionals.

The day began with a visit to JLL‘s offices in Scott’s Addition, a vibrant neighborhood known for its innovative developments. Richmond leaders kicked off the trek with a comprehensive market update, highlighting current trends and future projections in the real estate sector. JLL leaders followed with a detailed presentation on the company’s success in management, leasing, tech, and investment. Students had the chance to network with JLL professionals over lunch, where they received career advice and insights into the industry.

The second stop was a mixed-use project tour with Hourigan and JLL. The students were greeted outside the trio apartment build and were provided a brief introduction to the project. The tour showcased innovative design and development strategies, with students learning about the selection of construction materials and the importance of planning in the construction industry. Project leadership emphasized that the best part of the job is “the people,” highlighting the collaborative nature of their work.

The final visit was to the Virginia Public Media project, where students toured the construction site under the supervision of Clark Construction Group and JLL. Located in the busier downtown Richmond area, the site had recently celebrated a milestone with the topping out of the building. Project leadership explained the vision for the building, future recording and podcast studios, and specific construction processes, such as treating steel beams with fire-resistive materials to increase their resistance.

Special thanks to our wonderful trek hosts at JLL, Hourigan, and Clark Construction for their time and hospitality with our students! Additional gratitude goes to the Commerce Career Services team for their support and participation in preparing our real estate students for these visits and Courtney Hodge, an MS in Data Science student, for her involvement in the social media takeover of the Center’s LinkedIn page for this event.