The Baker Program in Real Estate is known for its ability to help students transition into a real estate career from all types of industries. Jason Spencer, a Baker alum, is a great example of a student transitioning from a technical field into a traditional development role. Jason came from an engineering background prior to entering the program, and was able to find work in a major office development firm.
As a member of the Class of 2016, Jason is a part of the most recent graduating class of the Baker Program in Real Estate. He currently works at Property Group Partners LLC, a fully integrated real estate in Washington DC, as an Assistant Development Manager. Property Group Partners is a major player in the office development space, with over forty years of experience building premier properties and luxury landmarks. The company owns, manages, and develops first class office buildings in North America and Europe.
Starting off in office development wasn’t always Jason’s plan. First, he graduated from the University of Michigan with his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering in 2006 and pursued a Master’s of Structural Engineering in 2007. It was during his Master’s program that Jason’s began to become interested in Real Estate. Upon finishing his Master’s degree, Jason worked four years at Thornton Tomasetti, a large engineering firm which addresses the full life cycles of structures.
As one of their rising stars, Jason worked on forensic engineering work, investigating why structures and materials in buildings failed to perform as intended. He also did work in structural design creating the details, drawings, and schematics for the building of large structures. After five years, he realized his true passion lay in real estate, as he found himself constantly following the industry. After considering different ways of transitioning into the field, Jason applied and matriculated into the Baker Program in Real Estate in 2014.
The Baker program allowed Jason to see his passion for real estate flourish. Looking back, Jason noted that “Enrolling at Baker provided me the missing pieces I needed to figure out how the real estate machine works, you have two years of courses, so your second year is best spent to help make the program what you want it to be.” At Baker, Jason was able to make the program his own and learn the technical and financial tools needed to move into his current position as an Assistant Development Manager.
Four months into his new job at Property Group Partners, Jason’s is currently helping with the development of a 2.2 million-square-foot, mixed-use project being built over six lanes of I-395 in Washington D.C. The $1.3 billion project will add retail, office, and residential space within blocks of Union Station, and will be considered one of the most sought after spaces in the city. Needless to say we are proud of Jason, and look forward to him doing great things in the future.
