Two Leeds faculty are set to deliver instruction in the Commercial Real Estate Certificate program.

The Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate from Leeds Executive Education returns in fall 2024 with updates to accommodate the changing needs of program participants. We redesigned the curriculum with input from faculty and CU Real Estate Center board members to enhance the integration between the three courses within the program.

As part of curriculum changes, the previous Fundamentals in Finance course will change to an Intro to Real Estate Investing course. This six-week course will offer live online instruction for two hours each week, beginning September 3, 2024. The course will be taught by Dr. Christophe Spaenjers, professor of finance at Leeds, faculty director of the CU Real Estate Center, and academic director of the Master’s in Real Estate (MSRE). This course gives students the financial acumen to make comfortable investment decisions to analyze and compare loans and leases, conduct investment analysis of income-generating properties, and gain a better understanding of real estate investment trusts (REITs).

“The goal of the class is not just to help students succeed in residential and commercial real estate investments, but to also provide tools and knowledge that will help in any future personal real estate and mortgage market decisions,” said Spaenjers.

After Intro to Real Estate Investing concludes, we will offer Intro to Real Estate Law, beginning October 15, 2024. This six-week course will be taught by Deanne Stodden, a teaching assistant professor of finance at Leeds who brings a background in law and real estate as the managing editor of the Colorado Bar Association/CLE Colorado Real Estate Practice books. Intro to Real Estate Law will offer a comprehensive understanding of contract law, titles and closings, and other legal issues that pertain to real estate.

Stodden describes the course by saying “non-lawyers in the real estate industry need to be familiar with the laws that guide leases, contracts, conveyances, and financing. This class aims to provide students with the basics of real estate law that will allow them to navigate successful real estate transactions while staying within the bounds of the law.”

Each of the introductory courses is eligible for CE credits through the state of Colorado. It is highly recommended to complete the Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate course as a prerequisite, unless you already have a good understanding of commercial real estate fundamentals.

If you are interested in investing in real estate or building pathways and career opportunities in commercial real estate, we encourage you to register for these courses at only $750 per course. Through interactive coursework and rigorous discussion with your peers, you will build your network of emerging business professionals and real estate investors.

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In commercial real estate, who you know is sometimes as important as what you know.

Explore leading real estate associations:

Networking is a critical element to navigating the strong community of experts and practitioners working together to meet the changing demands in a profession that is nuanced, complex and ever-changing.

If you’re looking to expand your network in commercial real estate, it’s important to take advantage of connections with the numerous real estate associations. While each association has its own mission and personality, they all share the common goal to provide trusted guidance, thought-leadership, education and inspiration for current and aspiring real estate professionals.

Every association offers a robust catalog of tools and resources, so how do you take full advantage of the perks of networking and associations?

1. Business opportunities – building relationships can be an overlooked asset in commercial real estate, but still very important. The more people you know and connect with, the greater number of opportunities you will have to find clients, investors, partners and tenants. Every connection expands your network and increases your financial potential.
2. Market knowledge and trends – Tapping into associations and networks helps you stay up to date on the latest trends, market conditions and industry insights. Participating in events and discussions can help you make better investment opportunities by staying on top of the emerging trends to make informed business decisions.
3. Continuing education – Many associations offer workshops, courses and seminars to help maintain necessary continuing education credits.
4. Partnerships – Learn to leverage others’ areas of expertise and focus to build collaborative relationships where you can pool resources and contacts that may result in shared projects, joint ventures or partnership on complex deals.
5. Referrals and recommendations – In real estate, word-of-mouth and your reputation go a long way. Building trust and credibility in your network can help foster those deeper relationships whether you’re looking for a new job opportunity or a new business opportunity.

Want to build your commercial real estate knowledge, while also getting access to a built-in network of peers and instructors in real estate? Providing education at the undergraduate level and through the MS in real estate, MBA coursework and executive education programs ensures the university can reach all levels of experience to advance real estate education. The executive education commercial real estate certificate offers flexible courses that can be taken independently or combined to earn a certificate and continuing education credits for those in the state of Colorado. For continuing education hours outside the state, please contact us for more details. The finance course is  with the course beginning on September 13.

Curious? Contact LeedsExecEd@colorado.edu.

  Why Leeds     Executive Education at Leeds

Use the resources at your fingertips to transition into commercial real estate

Knowing when—and how—to make a career pivot can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Toni Williams has shaped a successful career in the real estate industry by aligning her own passions and goals in a way that inspires her clients to dream and achieve.

Williams, a real estate agent in Atlanta, Georgia, knows how to creatively strategize with her clients to move toward successful outcomes because that’s the approach she uses with her own education and career. She began her education in public health and informatics, earning a Master of Public Health in Informatics from Emory University, and she takes a multidisciplinary approach to adding to her skills and knowledge as a licensed real estate professional now. Williams is a shining example of how to transition into real estate with a science background through curiosity and continued learning.

Exploring real estate finance

Last fall, Williams took the real estate finance fundamentals course offered by the Leeds School of Business. The online real estate course is crafted specifically to explore finance for non-finance professionals.

“I love being able to connect with local businesses to create success stories on the properties I serve,” Williams says. “My educational background is centered around science and healthcare informatics. As a result, when I pivoted my career to commercial real estate, most of my exposure to the field was based on retail leasing. The finance course provided by Leeds gave me an opportunity to learn more about financial principles that are applicable to my current role in real estate.”

Williams is a alumna who was able to sign up for the program thanks to the commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in real estate cemented through the partnership between Leeds and Project REAP.

After taking the Leeds finance real estate course, Williams recommends the class to those wanting additional financial acumen in their knowledge base. She shares these insights from her experience with CU executive education:

• Leeds partners with Project REAP to offer real estate finance education.

“Project REAP has been an amazing source of knowledge for growth in my real estate career. The robust curriculum provided by Project REAP also exposed me to other areas of interest within commercial real estate. Project REAP providing the finance course from Leeds is an example of the continued knowledge that is provided for REAP alumni that is so invaluable. I joined Project REAP because the mission of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion with the commercial real estate industry aligns with my commitment to serving within the real estate field. In addition, the access to educational and networking opportunities was appealing and held its merit of value thorough out the program and beyond.”

• Apply for Continuing Education credits.

“I applied for 12 hours of CE credits that I received for completing the finance course from the Georgia Real Estate Commission. I also appreciated the support from Leeds and Project REAP during the process.”

• Enjoy your learning process and adding new skills.

“I enjoyed gaining new knowledge from the course materials that were applicable to my role and expanding my network amongst my cohort and instructors. I gained a better understanding of the NER (net effective rent) and how to express trends quantitatively within the CRE market.”

Expanding your real estate knowledge

The Leeds School of Business is committed to training tomorrow’s industry leaders on navigating and building a successful career in real estate. Providing education at the undergraduate level and through the MS in real estate, MBA coursework and executive education programs ensures the university can reach all levels of experience to advance real estate education. The executive education commercial real estate certificate offers flexible courses that can be taken independently or combined to earn a certificate and continuing education credits for those in the state of Colorado. For continuing education hours outside the state, please contact us for more details. The finance course is with the course beginning on September 13.

Curious? Contact LeedsExecEd@colorado.edu.

  Why Leeds     Executive Education at Leeds

Leeds held a ceremony for the nearly 20 professionals who completed a three-course certificate in commercial real estate. From left are Maureen Espinoza, Christine Fitch and Jill Mendoza, who each completed the program. Below, Mendoza speaks with Michael Kercheval, left, and Madison Gross, right, of the CU Real Estate Center.

Christine Fitch is an attorney who spends most of her time sorting out planning and zoning issues in Colorado’s Adams County. An expert who graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 2016, Fitch knows local government issues inside out, but said she didn’t fully understand the process commercial developers go through when they bring new projects to her desk. 

“I tend to see the beginning of projects, when developers are looking for approvals, but I thought it would be good to get a fuller perspective on what goes into a completed project,” she said. 

That led her to the commercial real estate executive certificate at the Leeds School of Business. This three-course certificate covers industry fundamentals, law and finance, making it ideal for as well as seasoned professionals looking to update their skills in a time of great change in the industry. 

The programs also can be taken individually, a useful feature for professionals already in this space who are looking to upskill or are seeking to maintain professional certification. 

This spring, 19 students completed all three foundational real estate courses, earning executive certificates in commercial real estate. It’s the first time the courses have been offered; students like Fitch who part of the inaugural group that completed the certificates were invited to a reception at Leeds, where they met faculty and peers face to face after completing the virtual classes. 

Maureen Espinoza, another student who attended, said the national network she was able to build gave her perspective on challenges professionals faced in other major U.S. markets. 

“The breakout rooms gave us opportunities to meet people from different parts of the country, but also different sectors in real estate—developers, brokers, attorneys, people in local government,” said Espinoza, a dual licensed attorney and commercial broker with The Colorado Group. “I didn’t expect such good opportunities to connect with people in a virtual program.” 

Even though she’s an attorney who also graduated from CU Law, Espinoza said the module on real estate law was a useful update, since she completed her JD in 2004. 

“I was so impressed with what the faculty were able to deliver, content wise,” she said. “You got what felt like a whole semester in one evening.” 

Fitch also called the faculty impressive.

“They brought in some very interesting speakers who shared some amazing projects they’d worked on in Colorado and elsewhere,” she said. 

The finance module, she said, was especially helpful to her. 

“The courses really helped me see the process more clearly, especially in terms of financing projects,” Fitch said. “I think the experience has made it easier for me to see how that process works on the other side, and potentially be more of a resource to help get projects accomplished.” 

When experts describe a “soft” real estate market coming out of the pandemic, does that mean it’s a bad time to enter this field? 

Turns out, that’s a loaded question. The real estate “market” is composed of so many sectors—residential, retail, , industrial—that sweeping statements about the industry’s health tend to miss the mark. So while office markets from Denver to D.C. are soft, as workers embrace hybrid and remote work, warehouse and distribution have been the opposite, as companies seek to shorten supply chain by ramping up storage locally.

“It's always a good time to jump into the real estate game,” said Joel Starbuck, a real estate expert and instructor who teaches a course in the fundamentals of real estate at the Leeds School of Business. “Commercial real estate in Colorado, especially along the Front Range, is still a hot market.”

Starbuck offered some tips for professionals looking to add real estate skills and credentials to their résumés.

You can start with a side hustle. One of the appealing aspects of real estate is that it does not have to be your primary career or income source. Many investors get in the game by starting small and growing into it, which can remove a considerable amount of risk. If you decide to level up and make this a career, the industry is always in hiring mode.

You can challenge yourself to grow—professionally and personally.  can be intimidating, but there are many resources to help. The CU Real Estate Center programs offer students many opportunities to meet industry professionals, network and refresh skills. Taking advantage of resources and networking opportunities can help ease uncertainty and fears that newcomers might have.

You can learn a little about many things to find your passion area. Starbuck’s greatest joy comes from seeing students get excited about an industry or a required course that they thought was going to be ho-hum.

“One of the reasons I enjoy teaching the fundamentals of commercial real estate at Leeds is that we cover a myriad of topics throughout the semester: law, economics, financial analysis, brokerage and affordable housing, to name a few,” he said. “Every day we cover something completely new and interesting.”

It’s yet another reminder that —analysis, appraisal, development, sales, underwriting, law and more—which makes it especially well suited to professionals uncertain about their next moves.

Ready to build your skills across the real estate landscape? The gives you a convenient and accessible way to invest in your professional future. The fully online program offers a three-course module designed to broaden commercial real estate knowledge through real-world context and counts toward continuing education credits for real estate professionals.

Let’s take a look at investing in your hottest property: you. 

No matter your expertise or role in the real estate world, you’ll always benefit from being able to understand the different processes, people and actions that close deals and move markets. The more you know about the fundamentals of real estate, the more you can make valuable contributions to your team and market your own skills.

Maybe you’ve got a toe in the industry already, like a commercial real estate law paralegal who wants to know more about the financial side of things, or a broker interested in real estate law. Or you might be in a role where mastery of the fundamentals can help you advance your career. Whatever your knowledge and aspirations, there’s real value in knowing universal industry terms and understanding the landscape. And there’s always real value in .

We recently spoke to a municipal economic development professional about why he chose to invest in a commercial real estate course with Leeds School of Business.

Building up his toolkit

Daniel Ryley is a small-business owner and executive director at the Arvada Economic Development Authority. As an economic development expert, he saw the value in adding stronger real estate fundamentals to his professional toolkit.

Ryley’s role supports commercial development and business health and growth, and much of that hinges on real estate and regulation—for example, how a developer might interact with a local government to get permits. He didn’t have a strong commercial real estate financial or legal background, and saw the Leeds program as a way to better understand the more technical sides of the real estate world—especially dealmaking, finance and law.

Benefits and new perspectives

“This program gives students a real-life, real-world, real-time understanding of how real estate actually is a business,” he said.

Especially insightful, he said, was learning how all the players behave across a real estate transaction, to see what drives and motivates their behavior and understand how to solve the puzzle of turning a profit from an investment ownership/development standpoint—as opposed to just earning a commission. 

What brought Ryley to Leeds was the credibility of a program associated with a leading university, as well as a unique way to provide professional development opportunities for his team. While he maintains , most opportunities geared toward economic development professionals are very industry specific, and don’t offer a broad look at all the different aspects of commercial real estate.  

“It was pretty easy for me to look at this opportunity with Leeds and say, ‘I’d rather invest in this course than another economic development conference,’” said Ryley, who completed the program with two teammates.

This is an exciting time for executive education. Offerings are increasingly built to cater to today’s student needs. Forbes recently published a look at how to . At Leeds, our thought leaders and industry experts can help you improve your understanding of real estate basics to better prepare you for success at your current job and in your career. Our fully online commercial real estate certificate program offers three modules that represent a convenient, accessible and applicable way to invest in your professional future.

CUREC sets aside 50 seats in commercial real estate certificate for graduates of a diversity program. ​​

Denver's Civic Center neighborhood at dusk. Leeds is reserving seats in a new executive education program for graduates of REAP, a program designed to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the real estate industry.  

“If you build it, they will come” might work if you’re building a ballpark in an Iowa cornfield—but anyone working in real estate will tell you that’s not a strategy for success. 

That’s why, when it comes to its vision for increasing diversity in the real estate industry, the Leeds School of Business isn’t content to be a casual observer. 

The school has reserved 50 seats in its inaugural commercial real estate executive certificate program for graduates of a nationwide diversity program. 

“Making the real estate industry more diverse requires that we make a real estate education accessible for all students,” said Mike Kercheval, executive director of the CU Real Estate Center. “Raising awareness among diverse students and providing resources to support their study is an important first step toward this goal.” 

Select graduates of Project REAP—short for Real Estate Associate Program—will have tuition waived for the first modules of the Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate. The group’s mission is to advance DEI in real estate through education, mentorship, and partnerships; “having access to the most relevant information and opportunities to expand their skill sets is key to advancing their careers,” Manikka Bowman, REAP executive director, said of the organization’s graduates.

Skill and network development

The certificate program consists of three modules designed to provide certification maintenance and upskilling for those in the industry, as well as a path for professionals curious about transitioning into real estate. The courses are taught by seasoned industry professionals as well as CU Boulder faculty, ensuring students learn immediately applicable skills while developing a network of peers and professionals.
 
“Whether you’re a college student or a business professional, to succeed in real estate you have to know the skills, the terminology, the laws, so you can make sure the deal gets made,” said Madison Gross, a 23-year commercial real estate veteran and consultant to CUREC who helped build the program. “These classes are designed to fill any gaps and to provide tangible value, both to the graduates and to the organizations who employ them.”

READ MORE: Commercial real estate executive education program: Who’s it for?

Reserving seats in the program for REAP graduates is just CUREC’s latest initiative to bring diverse audiences to this lucrative industry. 

Programs like Changing the Face of Real Estate, a scholarship fund to encourage women, students of color and first-generation college students to study real estate, are important in turning around historic practices that reinforced discrimination, such as redlining. Offering REAP graduates these modules for free is a partnership designed to support the diversification of an industry that’s long been homogeneous. 

Each course is delivered online one night a week after hours, to minimize disruptions to busy professional and personal schedules. The modules can be taken separately; students who complete all three are awarded an executive certificate as well as Colorado Continuing Education Units for each hour. Registration for the Fundaments of Real Estate for Non-Financial Professionals course, which starts Nov. 1, is now open. 

  Why Leeds     CU Real Estate Center     Executive Certificate Programs

The commercial real estate industry touches all aspects of business throughout the United States, from the places we shop, to where we work and recreate. Yet the level of education needed to support commercial real estate has been underdeveloped around the U.S., with few formal programs to help professionals transition into, or advance within, this space.  

The Leeds School of Business, in partnership with the CU Real Estate Center,  aims to address this through a new executive certificate that supports the growth of industry professionals in commercial real estate. 

The Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate leverages Leeds’ faculty expertise and industry connections to provide an educational program that helps real estate professionals advance their careers. The certificate is comprised of three courses that can be taken together or separately. The first course offered, Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate, covers development, financing, real estate contracts, deeds, covenants and appraisals using traditional methods of valuation. This course is taught by a 25-year industry veteran, and meets Wednesday nights between Sept. 14 and Oct. 26 from 6-8 p.m.