For Britton Smith, a master’s in commercial real estate was more than just a career move. The degree connected him to his family’s roots.
Many of Smith’s relatives worked in the industry. That legacy traces back to his grandmother Ella, who owned and rented out a three-story brownstone in Chicago in the mid-1960s.
“Back then, it was rare for a single Black woman to own a building,” he said. “It was a great blessing for our family and changed the trajectory of our lives.”
Smith spent two years at Columbus State University as a biochemistry major but ended up leaving to join the workforce.
In 2019, he founded Mosella Acquisitions and began buying single-family rental properties in metro Atlanta. He named the company after Ella (his grandmother) and Mosell (the husband of Ella’s sister).
“Through their ownership and management of rental properties, I got to see the road to success up close,” he said.
After Ella purchased the brownstone in Chicago, Mosell asked for help acquiring an adjacent building. The domino effect continued into the next generation: Smith’s uncle owns rental properties in the Chicago suburbs.
Smith decided to give college another try and knew he would benefit from a business degree with a focus in his field. He felt drawn to the commercial sector of real estate because of the diversity of property types including office buildings, community centers, and multifamily housing.
“To me, commercial real estate defines neighborhoods,” he said.
Smith earned a B.B.A. with a concentration in real estate online from Purdue University in March 2025 and decided to keep the momentum going with a master’s. He enrolled in the M.S. in Commercial Real Estate (MSCRE) at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business in June 2025. MSCRE students can attend class online or in person; Smith chose the in-person format so he could connect with students and faculty face-to-face.
“I knew that if I wanted to make a career change, I needed to put effort into cultivating relationships,” he said.
Even though real estate runs in Smith’s family, he faced a significant knowledge gap when he started the program. His confidence increased over time. Through his Asset Management course, Smith toured real estate development sites and witnessed decisions being made in real time. Case in point: a business relocating from downtown Atlanta to a suburb.
“It was eye-opening to see what factors influenced that process. I heard points like, ‘Our demands are shifting, and we don’t need as much square footage. We need more of a niche environment,’” Smith said. “That class turned a scholastic endeavor into real-world practice.”
Smith also got hands-on practice in the NAIOP 2026 Georgia Annual School Challenge, hosted by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. Smith and his teammates competed against groups from Emory University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia in the annual case competition, which charged participants with drafting a plan for a major mixed-use development in the City of Sandy Springs.
“It helped me think like a decisionmaker who would give the green light to that kind of project,” Smith said.
Smith finished the MSCRE program in August 2026. Two months before graduation, a classmate told him about an asset management analyst opportunity at Spring11, a commercial real estate advisory and financial services firm. Smith applied and got the job.
Over the course of his studies, Smith clearly got over his imposter syndrome.
“Robinson closed my knowledge gap really well,” he said.