Signature Events

Childress Klein Center for Real Estate events are hosted throughout the year for students, alumni and the general public to educate and develop real estate professionals and to lead the community in conversations that educate and inspire innovation in Commercial Real Estate.

State of Housing in Charlotte Summit

Join us in person or virtually at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City for the 2025 State of Housing in Charlotte Summit. The report will be presented by Dr. Yongqiang Chu, Director of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, followed by an industry panel discussion addressing topics from the report.

see the 2024 summit

You can view previous State of Housing Reports here.

MSRE Seminar Series

To further our mission of using industry and community collaboration to educate and develop real estate professionals, the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate created a monthly seminar series to facilitate discussions on relevant topics. These invitation-only seminars occur in the afternoon on the third Friday of each month and include time for networking, Q&A and lunch in addition to a robust discussion on the featured topic.

Current MSRE students, alumni and special guests of the center are invited to these monthly events. If you would like to request an invitation, please contact Daniel Wright.

March 2025 MSRE Speaker Series

Friday, March 21, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
4150 Yancey Road
Charlotte, NC 28217

Join us for the MSRE Speaker Series on March 21, featuring Tracy Montross, Regional Director of Government Affairs, American Airlines.

In its 2023 rankings, Airports Council International (ACI) placed the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) as #7 in the world for air traffic. American Airlines accounts for 88% of annual commercial passenger traffic at CLT and offers non-stop service from CLT to more than 170 destinations in 26 countries.  Join Tracy Montross from American Airlines to learn more about CLT’s competitive position for air service and plans to accommodate continued growth in the terminal, airfield and airspace.

Sponsorships

There are a number of sponsorship options for the Seminar Series events. Sponsoring a MSRE Seminar Series event provides valuable exposure for your organization, allowing you to be in front of emerging and established young leaders in the Charlotte commercial real estate community.

Thank you to our current Seminar Series sponsors:

#CREfuture

#CREfuture features a panel discussion on forward-thinking topics in commercial real estate for future real estate leaders. Young professionals in commercial real estate provide an insider perspective on their career paths, current projects making waves in the market and their experiences as emerging leaders in commercial real estate.

The event brings together current students, young alumni and friends of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate to network and connect over engaging topics impacting the real estate market.

Previous #CREfuture Discussions

Real Estate and Life Sciences – Spring 2024

Moderator Kenlie Clapp, Executive Director of Research at Royster CRE, moderated a panel discussion on the vital nexus between real estate and life sciences, discussing topics poised to significantly impact the industry’s trajectory. Panelists included:

Chase Kerley – Managing Director, Crescent Communities
Dianne Jones – Managing Director, JLL Business Location and Economic Incentives
Jordan Harris – Business Recruitment Manager, City of Charlotte Economic Development

Envisioning Spaces: Entrepreneurship in Development – Spring 2022

Moderator: Jake Alexander ’22 MSRE, Wells Fargo Capital Markets

Panelists:

Steve McClure – CEO, The Spectrum Companies
Todd Collins – Founder and CEO, Red Hill Ventures
Jane Wu – Founder and CEO, Panorama Holdings, LLC

Diversity & Inclusion in Real Estate – Spring 2021

Moderator: Renee Hill, MSRE Instructor, Belk College of Business

Panelists:

Kimarie Ankenbrand – Managing Director & Broker Lead, JLL
LaToya Faustin – Executive Director, She Built This City
Montell Watson – Director of Movement Direct and Minority Initiatives, Movement Mortgage

Transportation and Mobility in the Charlotte Region and Beyond – Spring 2020

Panelists:

Jason Lawrence – Senior Transportion Planner, CATS
Geoffrey Posluszny – Parking Consultant, Walker Parking

CRE Tech Takeover: How PropTech is Reshaping the Real Estate Industry – Spring 2019

Moderator: Ashley Cooper ’14 – Commercial Real Estate Appraiser, TB Harris JR & Associates

Panelists:

Derek McGarry – Chief Engineer, Point Guard
Sigrid Feder – America’s Chief Administration Officer, CBRE
Emily Barth – Sales Analyst, CBRE

Fall 2018

Moderator: Virginia Luther – Associate Director, Savilis Studley

Panelists:

Steven Pearce – Director of Business, Charlotte Regional Partnership
Will Pitts – Associate Executive Director, Charlotte Sports Foundation
Council Member Tariq Bokhari – District 6 Representative, Charlotte City Council
Alyson Craig – Director of Planning, Design & Development, City of Charlotte Deputy

Developing Charlotte’s Future: Innovation, Talent and Economics – Spring 2018

Panelists:

City Councilman Larken Egleston – City of Charlotte
Council Member Tariq Bokhari – District 6 Representative, Charlotte City Council
Bridget Grant – Land Use and Development Consultant, Moore & Van Allen

The Stonewall Corridor – Fall 2017

Panelists:

Compie Newman – Managing Director, CBRE
Henri Gresset – Senior Associate, Childress Klein Brokerage Services
Liz Ward – VP of Multi-Family Development, The Housing Partnership
Kristy Venning – Office Broker, Beacon Development Company

All CHildress Klein Center for real estate events

All Belk College of Business Events