Online Masters in Real Estate

Though the current housing market is slowly recovering from the 2008 crisis, real estate experts are already gearing up for a new growth period in the new decade. Most housing market analysts expect new home sales to rise significantly in the next 5 years and many real estate agencies have begun taking on new agents. Many agents looking to get ahead have been pursuing online master’s degrees in real estate. A master’s degree allows employees to move into management positions at real estate agencies and boost their current salaries.

Online Master’s Degrees in Real Estate Requirements

Successful candidates going for online master’s degree programs are very personable, ambitious, and pay close attention to detail. Getting into a management position in the real estate industry requires excellent negotiation skills and social intelligence. Online master’s degree programs in real estate will help students to hone these abilities. Most students working towards an online master’s degree in real estate hold a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields:

• Real Estate
• Business Management
• Accounting
• Finance
• Property Management

Most accredited online real estate master’s degree programs will require that a candidate hold a bachelor’s degree though it does not have to be in one of the above fields.

Online Real Estate Master’s Degree Education

The options for getting a direct online master’s degree in real estate are somewhat limited. Most students go for a master’s of business administration (MBA) degree with a specialization in real-estate. There are hundreds of online schools offering MBA degrees with a specialization in real estate. These programs take between 2 to 3 years to complete. There are typically only two types of real-estate master’s degree offered:

• Master of Science in Real Estate Management
• Master of Science in Real Estate Finance

Information on Courses

The best online master’s degree programs in real estate focus on client satisfaction and real estate investment. The classes typically present students with a series of case-studies that allow them to examine how real-estate management makes decisions. Online master’s degree programs in real estate should give students a series of tools to assess properties, secure investment, and consistently sell homes. Some of the most popular class options include:

• Real Estate Finance
  This class explores the inner workings of home mortgages and bank loan operations. Students will examine case scenarios and look at the situations from the buyer’s perspective, the agent’s perspective, the agency’s perspective, and the bank’s perspective. Students also cover primary and secondary mortgage markets and investment capital markets.
• Business Management
  This class covers the principles and tools used to successfully manage a business. Students will learn communication skills to help them lead teams of real-estate agents. They will also be presented with hypothetical scenarios and professors will ask them to find solutions to problems.
• Real Estate Investment
  This course teaches students about assessing the risks and benefits of investing in a property. The class will cover the entire process of real estate development from initial financing and land leasing to property development.
• Valuation
  As the name implies, this course gives students tools and techniques to properly assess the value of a property. Professors emphasize looking at property through a facts-based approach and teach students to minimize person biases.
• Real Estate Law
  This class covers all of the legal aspects involved in the real estate industry. This includes building zoning issues, contracts, legal fees, local property taxes, and property boundaries.

Specializations and Concentrations

Many top online master’s degree programs in real estate offer specializations and concentrations. This can help students focus on an area of study most relevant to their current or future job. Some of the most popular specializations include:

• Real Estate Finance
• Property Development
• Real Estate Management
• Real Estate Property Investment

Careers in Real Estate

Graduates of online real estate master programs can consider a wide spectrum of careers as options. Some popular career choices for online masters degree real estate graduates are:

• Commercial Broker
  A commercial broker manages commercial real estate developments. Most days they move around from location to location, selling spaces in a commercial building. They are also responsible for securing investment in projects and acting as the public relations between construction companies and potential buyers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average commercial broker earns $150,000 annually.
• Retail Broker
  A retail broker performs most of the same roles as a commercial broker but focuses instead on residential homes. A broker usually works with a team of real estate agents and they everything they can to boost the agency’s overall sales. Retail brokers typically do not participate in house showings and do most of their work from an office. The BLS estimates that the average retail broker earns $95,740 per year.
• Property Manager
  A property manager typically works below a commercial retail broker and manages more day to day operations of real estate developments. They are also responsible for selling spaces but they usually work with clients once they are committed to buying. In a condominium development, a property manager might work with clients to customize their unit before it is built.

Quite often, positions will not necessarily require students to have graduated from online master degree programs in real estate, however, having a master’s degree from an accredited online school can help increase one’s salary in this job market as well as secure employment.