Student Programs
Each year, NAREIM hosts two student programs on behalf of its member firms. These programs are for graduates and undergraduates studying real estate and business programs. The programs are: The Jeff Barclay Fellows program for graduate students and the Resume Book for both graduate and undergraduate students. See more details and how to get involved below.
#1. Jeff Barclay Fellows program
Each year, NAREIM celebrates the next generation of commercial real estate leaders through the NAREIM Jeff Barclay Fellows program.
Named after the late Jeff Barclay, former NAREIM chairman, managing director and head of acquisitions at Clarion Partners, and head of Goldman Sachs' real estate group, the NAREIM Jeff Barclay Fellows award is given to five outstanding graduate students with the goal to provide insights into the future of real estate investment management.
“Clarion Partners has been a long-standing supporter of NAREIM and the organization’s commitment to introducing diverse next generation talent to the industry through the Barclay Fellows program,” said Hugh Macdonnell, Clarion Partners Managing Director. “This unique opportunity, developed with guidance from Jeff Barclay, is just one of the many ways we, as an industry, can continue identifying and educating a new generation of future real estate leaders. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants.”
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Graduates interested in applying to be a Fellow can apply by emailing a 1-page PDF of the resume using the following naming convention [SCHOOL_Last Name_First Name], by May 31, 2024. NAREIM's members will select the final five fellows by June 2024 and invite them to attend the NAREIM Executive Officer meeting in the fall. See the Class of 2023/24 below.
Fellows class of 2023/24
NAREIM Fellows participating in the Executive Officer meeting 2023, discussions, networking and activities
University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Blair is a Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Graaskamp Center for Real Estate. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in May 2023 and is expected to complete her MSRE in May 2024. Blair is pursuing the Real Estate Private Equity Track, where she actively engages in evaluating and investing in real estate deals through the WREAA LP Funds. Her academic journey has been enriched by active participation in clubs such as Women in Real Estate (WIRE) and the UW-Madison Real Estate Club. Alongside her studies, Blair has garnered hands-on experience from impactful internships at Mortenson Development and First Hospitality.
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Blair's said the NAREIM Executive Officer meeting was an "immersive experience that not only expanded my knowledge but also emphasized the significance of connections in our industry. It was truly an honor and a profound learning experience."
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Brendan is a second-year student at Columbia Business School graduating in May 2024. Prior to CBS, Brendan served as an Associate on the Investments Team at Pennybacker Capital, an Austin based real estate private equity firm. Brendan sat in Pennybacker’s New York office where he assisted in growing Pennybacker’s high yield credit platform. Prior to Pennybacker, Brendan was a member of JP Morgan’s Real Estate Americas team. He has spent the first five years of his career developing valuable experience investing across the capital stack in varying product types and geographies. Brendan is actively involved in the real estate community at CBS, serving as the co-president of the Real Estate Association. In an effort to expand his perspective, Brendan spent the spring and summer working for Alpaca VC where he focused on proptech venture capital and a newly launched REPE strategy aimed at investing in “tech-enabled” real estate. Brendan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Brendan said the NAREIM Executive Officer meeting was an "awesome experience. It is a complex time in our industry, and the chance to be in a room with key decision makers to see how they’re thinking about their business and investment decisions was truly impactful."
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Megan Lawlor is a second year MBA student at New York University Stern School of Business, specializing in Real Estate, Finance, and Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Megan serves as the VP of Social Events for the Stern Real Estate Club and is a Chen Institute MBA Fellow. This past summer, Megan interned in development at CityPads, a housing investment and development firm based in Chicago and LA. Prior to joining Stern, Megan worked as a Strategy Consulting Manager in the Deal Advisory and Strategy practice at KPMG. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a licensed CPA.
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Megan enjoyed the "interactive and candid atmosphere" of the NARIEM Executive Officer meeting which "allowed us to openly discuss industry challenges and share insights on overcoming them. I also had the privilege of gaining valuable career insights from executives in attendance, which I will carry with me as I advance in my career."
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Neeva is pursuing her Masters in Real Estate at Roosevelt University. She recently interned as a Real Estate Analyst at World Business Chicago, collaborating with prominent firms. With a strong background in financial analysis and strategic decision-making, Neeva aspires to join the asset and portfolio management division of real estate. She is the President of Women in Business and The Real Estate club, Graduate Assistant for the Heller College of Business and Tutor of Real Estate Department. When asked by a friend what she’d do with her life if money was not a factor, Neeva responded, “I’d still be in real estate! I’d create the most beautiful buildings and maintain their integrity. That sounds like the life I want to lead!”. Aspiring to excel as a female leader in asset and portfolio management, she aims to fully utilize NAREIM’s fellowship in networking and learning from top industry leaders. Fun fact about Neeva: Neeva is from the country of Mount Everest, Nepal. She speaks 6 languages and counting.
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Neeva felt the NAREIM Executive Officer meeting provided "invaluable insight" as someone interested in asset and portfolio management. "NAREIM effectively narrowed the divide between the expectations of a seasoned leader and a novice embarking on a career. The executive meeting has broadened my perspectives and provided a lifetime of valuable professional connections.”
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William Harris was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado. He is currently a second-year MBA candidate at the SMU Cox School of Business, with a concentration in Real Estate Finance and Entrepreneurship. William is a Cox Distinguished Scholar, Toigo Fellow, and an Associate at the Cox Real Estate Impact Investment Fund. Additionally, William is a Niemi Fellow, conducting research and producing nonpartisan policy recommendations to advocate for innovation districts and affordable housing.
William earned his BBA in Computer Information Systems from Howard University. During his time at Howard, he served as the President for The Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. After his undergraduate studies, William joined Microsoft as a Cyber Security Consultant and Account Manager, supporting Fortune 500 clients. Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, William serves as a board member and mentor with the Crowley Foundation, where he actively leads workshops on leadership development, mental health, and financial literacy for minority teenage men. Most recently, William interned with The Howard Hughes Corporation, working with both the Capital Markets and Development teams. William's goal is to merge his passion for commercial real estate, finance, and community development by pursuing value-add and opportunistic investment opportunities that offer quality, obtainable housing.
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William enjoyed the "organize and genuine relationships" created through NAREIM's Executive Officer meeting. "The group discussions were immensely beneficial, offering candid insights into industry trends. The Jeff Barclay Fellows Program is an opportunity that I highly recommend for any graduate student interested in commercial real estate!”
benefits of being a fellow
C-suite networking
Opportunity to attend NAREIM’s Executive Officer Meeting each year. This is an unrivalled opportunity to network in small groups with some of the leading C-suite and executive officers in private real estate investment. NAREIM meetings are not based on panel discussions but small group roundtable work, where you will sit and participate in conversations challenging members on how they are building and scaling their firms. All costs are covered by NAREIM.
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Networking with NAREIM Board of Directors
Fellows have private discussions with NAREIM’s Board of Directors.
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More networking
The opportunity to participate in NAREIM’s 11 functional group in-person meetings running from October to September to understand how the real estate investment management business truly operates, and the challenges and opportunities ahead for each group. Travel costs are met by students/universities.
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NAREIM covers the following function groups: Architecture, Engineering & Development; Asset Management; Capital Raising & IR; Data & Information Management; DEI; Executive Officer; Legal, Compliance & Risk; Marketing & Communications; Portfolio Management; and Sustainability.
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Industry article
The opportunity to contribute to NAREIM's Dialogues magazine, which is distributed alongside IREI magazine and is read by more than 8,000 real estate professionals. See the latest issue of Dialogues featuring Jackie Siegmund of NYU Stern School of Business and part of the Class of 2022/23 Fellows.
Students
Have your resumes seen by the heads of Talent & HR. Each year NAREIM aggregates resumes of undergraduates and graduate students studying real estate or with a strong interest in real estate from across the US, for member firms to hire from.
Send resumes to zhughes@nareim.org before the deadline of December 1, 2024.
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Graduates and undergraduates studying real estate or business are eligible to participate. Send a 1-page PDF of your resume using the following naming convention SCHOOL_Last Name_First Name.
Investment managers
In December 2023, the NAREIM Resume Book aggregated 500 resumes from undergraduate and graduate students across 41 US school.
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NAREIM members can access the Resume Book and Resumes of NAREIM Fellows by clicking here. Note, only NAREIM members with access to the NAREIM member section can see the resumes.
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