UBC student Real Estate Club gains support from newly created Industry Board of Advisors

The UBC Real Estate Club (UBCREC) offers educational events and networking opportunities to connect students to Vancouver’s real estate industry. Thanks to the new Industry Board of Advisors, the club will now gain mentorship and expertise from more established leaders in the local real estate community.

UBCREC’s mission is to guide students in their explorations of different career options in real estate. The club’s executive team changes each year as students graduate from their programs and this can create some unique challenges with respect to continuity and building long-lasting relationships. In establishing the new Industry Board of Advisors, there will now be greater continuity and knowledge transfer from one student executive team to the next.

“The advisory board will provide historical context as the student leaders change from year to year,” says Varinder Grewal, the inaugural Chair. “We will offer industry insight and knowledge, facilitate better quality networking, build up institutional memory for the incoming club members, and offer guidance to the Club’s executive team as they navigate unique challenges such as COVID-19. Over time, the hope is that the board provides added value to both UBC students and the industry.”

Varinder and the other board members represent a cross-section of Vancouver’s real estate community, including real estate finance, commercial brokerage, development, consulting and services, marketing, and property management. They also serve in their community, offering their time and expertise to the Urban Development Institute, Urban Land Institute, the City of Vancouver, UBC Sauder and other institutions. Notably, all but one board member are UBC Sauder School of Business graduates and several were UBCREC members in their student days.

Building stronger bridges between students and industry

Rohet Bains is a fourth-year Commerce student at UBC Sauder, specializing in Real Estate. He joined the UBC Real Estate Club in his second year of university, serving as Executive Assistant and Vice President Finance the following year before stepping into the role of President in March. He hopes the Industry Board of Advisors will create a stronger link between students and the professional real estate sector and open the door to new career opportunities.

"As an executive team, we are excited to work with such an esteemed and diversified board of advisors who all share the same passion for real estate that helped form our club,” says Rohet. “Looking to the future, we envision the advisory board playing a pivotal role in establishing our standard for success and innovation.”

For the students, gaining regular access to a board of advisors will help ensure the club continues to flourish in the years ahead. For the Advisors, it represents an opportunity to give back to their university and inspire the next generation of real estate leaders.