Hey guys, what were your reasons for pursuing an MBA, coming from an RE background and going into RE post-MBA. How did you communicate it to the AdComs thru your essays? Just trying to understand how to spin off switches from one vertical to a different one in RE (Eg. Debt to Equity etc.)
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Unfortunately for the OP, none of the comments address his original question. So, I'll attempt to do so.
Currently at one of the top b-schools. I may or may not return to real estate, but my pitch was to return to real estate. As you know, there are a few MBA programs with amazing real estate programs. At those programs you'll have access to hiring opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise have access to unless you have an elite undergrad education or rare personal connections. So if you want to work in a different role and at one of the exclusive firms, you have part of your pitch right there. Adcoms expect clear explanations of short-term and long-term goals, and you can work that in.
Adcoms also know that real estate isn't rocket science. So if you want to run a big real estate company some day, you can explain how running a business is not the same as executing on an asset-level business plan, and how you'll get a lot of value from developing the skills needed to scale a business to the regional and/or national level. Or, if you want to rise to the C-suite level at a REIT, those skills are from b-school, not an MSRED program (cue a debate about this, but there's no debate in the minds of Adcoms, and that's what matters here). Adcoms do expect you to have audacious goals, but not absurd goals, and sometimes the lines are blurred. Keep in mind they're pitching their value as training the business leaders of tomorrow. So you must convince them that you expect to be a business leader, not just some guy doing one-off deals on his own.