On March 11th and 12th students of the Program in Real Estate at Virginia Tech were given the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and meet with Colliers International, Eastdil Secured, and JBG Companies to oversee project development from inception to completion. Students arrived Sunday night and enjoyed dinner at Ted’s Montana Grill in Crystal City where they were able to network with peers and VT faculty members.

Monday morning Colliers International sponsored a breakfast where students met with young real estate professionals from the D.C. area at WeWork in Crystal City. After visiting with young professionals, students toured the collaborative style environment that is a cornerstone at WeWork. Caroline Blackmore, a junior Real Estate major, said, “I enjoyed learning about the commercial real estate field and networking with young professionals who were finding their niche in this fast paced environment.” In spaces like WeWork and WeLive, tenants are looking for apartment style living with a sense of community and collaboration – cultivating a sense of creativity and flexibility is the main focus.

During the afternoon, students went to L’Enfant Promenade where they were given a comprehensive tour of the building. Throughout the tour students learned about the role investor’s play in the commercial field and about commercial sales.

Students met with members of JBG’s development team for lunch at L’Enfant Plaza. The JBG team discussed their process for reworking and developing buildings in L’Enfant Plaza and discussed their current new development, the Spy Museum. Students had a lot of questions about the development process which could only be described further by a tour of the grounds. The JBG team showed students the underground food court and shopping area where students could see the work being accomplished in real-time.

After learning about the buildings and underground shopping area and food court, Collins Ege walked the students over to The Wharf. The Wharf is located on the Potomac Waterfront and offers amazing views. After entering the office, students were greeted by members of PN Hoffman and were shown the scaled model of what the project was going to look like once completed. Students were very impressed and had many questions, such as, whether they would use third party management after completion, when was the project going to be completed, and how long has the process taken from inception to completion.  

Students were taken into Parcel 2, a building that housed a concert hall as well as modern apartments. It provided a spectacular view of the water as well as the Jefferson Memorial.

The Program in Real Estate at Virginia Tech would like to thank Colliers International, Eastdil Secured and JBG Companies for their hospitality and for sharing their projects and experiences with students. Subsequently, we would like to give a special thanks to the IAB members Karen Whitt, Collins Ege, Anna Shaffer, and Leslie Ludwig, for coordinating the event.