Jim Spaeth

Jim Spaeth, MBA, Professor of the Practice of Real Estate Finance
Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies
Full-Time MBA

 

What courses do you currently teach, and what do you love most about them?

Real Estate Cases and Real Estate Development Process – both are extremely hands-on and allow students to experience real-world conditions.

 

How do you bring real-world business challenges or trends into the classroom?

All of my classes utilize either simulations or cases based on current real estate markets. In particular, Real Estate Development Process allows students to work in teams to conceptualize and advance an actual development project of their choosing.

 

What’s one lesson or insight you hope every MBA student takes with them after your course?

Real estate is capital-intensive but people-oriented.

 

In what ways do you see our students standing out in the workplace or making an impact?

Our employers consistently tell us that our students are extremely well-prepared upon entering the workforce. Basically, we create an environment in which they can make mistakes in our classrooms, rather than in their paid positions.

What excites you most about the future of business education or your field?

Like almost every other industry, real estate is in the early states of integrating AI into its processes. I’m excited as an educator to help students understand those AI tools and how they are likely to encounter them going forward.

What advice would you give to incoming MBA students?

Constantly evaluate your priorities. You will have lots of opportunities to say “yes” to various ventures during your studies, so you need to understand when you need to say “no”.

Is there anything you’d like to highlight about your research, industry partnerships, or other projects?

I come from industry, so everything I do is oriented toward helping students prepare for their post-graduation work environment.

What’s something your students might be surprised to learn about you?

I don’t generally drink caffeine but I have a tremendous soft spot for 7 Eleven Coke slurpees (likely a result of my upbringing in Northern Virginia).

Is there a student, colleague, or industry partner you’d like to recognize?

Shout out to the entire Wood Center team, who provide countless opportunities for our real estate students to learn and grow each year.