TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If you told Marissa Gordon two months after she received her Career Opportunities in Real Estate (CORE) certification, she would be networking with a room full of women in the real estate industry, she’d be skeptical.
However, the Northwestern University alumna was doing just that at the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Women in Multifamily Networking Series that was held in Chicago June 28.
“It was really exciting and I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to attend,” Gordon said. “I think just being around the women in multifamily or some aspect of multifamily really motivated me. Just hearing their stories, their background, how they got started in the industry and none of their pathways were the same.”
Like the panelists that were speaking that day, Gordon’s path to real estate had its share of turns. After graduating with her MBA from Northwestern, Gordan worked at JPMorgan Chase, moving her way up to become the Chicago branch’s vice president, before accepting a job as an account manager for Microsoft. Despite her success in the corporate world, Gordon always had her eyes on real estate and decided to enroll in the CORE program in February.
CORE is a free eight-module credential course that combines live and self-guided real estate career content along with building skills necessary for graduates to succeed in the industry. Since its inception in the Fall of 2021, the CORE program has helped students in 45 states from 309 different schools explore real estate careers and teach them the tools for success in the field.
The program has an 84% completion rate, doling out 516 credentials in two years, with 91% of students who take the course stating they are more interested in the field because of CORE.
“The CORE program really ignited that spark,” Gordon said. “(It helped) me kick off the process because I keep saying, ‘Oh, I’m going to do it, I’m going to start,’ but I just feel like I’ve never had the right people to speak with or speak to in the industry.”
After completing the course, CORE Learning Director and President of The Quadrillion, Dr. Debbie Phillips offered the opportunity to Gordon to attend the NMHC Women in Multifamily Networking Series
“Opportunities such as these provide a triple win for our CORE students,” Phillips said. “The first win is for the student to meet industry professionals that represent a wide range of careers. Second, the conference participants meet the skill-ready talent that are eager to enter the industry. Lastly, our industry as a whole is strengthened when collaboration and great ideas are exchanged. It’s really the best form of ‘net-weaving.’”
While Gordon interacted with real estate professionals, she also met Associate Vice President of Content and Program Strategy at the NMHC, Alison Johnson, who was “delighted” to hear that a CORE graduate was going to attend the networking series.
“Our intent for the NMHC Women in Multifamily Networking Series was to create a platform that celebrates and values women’s perspectives and fosters collaboration amongst multifamily industry peers,” Johnson said. “By actively participating in these events, our biggest hope is that individuals can expand their professional networks, break down barriers, and increase their chances of long-term success. Meeting Marissa and hearing how she thought this program helped her gain a deeper understanding of the work environment was a wonderful validation that we are forming a supportive community for personal and professional growth with this networking program.”
Gordon said she’s already registered for another networking event with the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) in July. For Phillips, seeing graduates take their first steps into the real estate industry is validation for why the program exists: allowing people to experience all sectors of real estate and giving them the tools for a successful career in the industry.
“The importance of knowing what you want and knowing that you want to go after your goals (is crucial),” Phillips said. “I talk about the ‘Go-Giver’ and the ‘Go-Getter.’ Marissa will have an opportunity to pay that forward to somebody else and I think that’s a really incredible opportunity.”
