During his senior year at Louisiana State University, Fazel Ahsan realized his academic major didn't align with his career goals. Sure, he felt passionate about environmental science and conservation, but business made more sense as a professional path.
Ahsan completed the bachelor’s in environmental science in 2018 and took a job as a cybersecurity consultant at a Dallas-based startup. That role didn’t jive with his vision either, so he learned everything he could from his roommates who worked in the city’s booming real estate market.
Ahsan had developed a rapport with the CEO of the company that owned his employer’s office building, and asked him about the process of acquiring commercial buildings.
“I wanted to work in real estate, so I asked if I could take a leap of faith and work for him,” Ahsan said.
The pandemic brought the commercial real estate market to a screeching halt, but Ahsan’s experience as a financial and operations analyst carved his way forward— so he sought an advanced degree to help bolster his standing in the industry. He chose the M.S. in Commercial Real Estate at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business because the faculty comprises executives with connections in Atlanta’s real estate market.
“Having professors who were orchestrating major real estate deals and able to speak on what was happening in the field was fantastic,” Ahsan said.
While enrolled in the program, Ahsan landed a graduate analyst position with SouthCoast Commercial, where he directly applied what he learned in class. Within six months, he earned a promotion to full-time acquisitions associate. Jon Wiley’s course on asset management and Stan Breon’s classes about investments were particularly beneficial because they focused on real-world scenarios that walked him through every aspect of financing, underwriting, and purchasing assets. He also served as co-president of the Commercial Real Estate Group at GSU, a student organization that offers guest lectures, workshops, recruiting events, and occasional property tours.
During his graduate studies, Ahsan competed alongside a group of peers at the 2022 NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties) School Challenge. Ahsan’s team won first place in the case competition, with help from their coach: Devin Barnwell, management partner and global head of portfolio management for Brookfield Properties. Ahsan stayed in touch with Barnwell, who recommended him for an asset management analyst position at her firm.
In his new role, Ahsan constantly leverages what he learned at Robinson, whether that be his ARGUS certification or his fluency in finance, investments, and asset management.
“Robinson has shepherded me through every step of my career in real estate because of the knowledge and relationships I gained there,” Ahsan said.