“The software is one of the most popular examples of prop-tech, or property technology, used by industry practitioners today,” says Yönder. “The fact that our real-estate finance students will have access to this powerful tool is a huge plus for them — and for the development of the Wener Centre.”
‘ARGUS helped me get my foot in the door’
Yönder explains that prop-tech is a hot field that could soon rival the better known fintech, or financial technology, in terms of visibility and importance.
Practical knowledge of ARGUS offers considerable advantages, adds Kevin Walsh, BComm 05.
Walsh majored in finance at Concordia and has a Master of Science in Real Estate from DePaul University. He now manages global real-estate funds as a senior portfolio manager for DWS Group and says that ARGUS’s scalable, data-driven approach is instrumental for him and his group of analysts.
“Before I started my career, a senior executive urged me to gain some familiarity with the software,” says the Chicago-based Walsh, who spoke to Yönder’s students about his experience with ARGUS earlier this year. “It was the best piece of advice I could have received. Having ARGUS training on my resumé helped me get my foot in the door.”
With enthusiasm for Montreal’s — and Canada’s — real-estate market on the rise, the gift from Altus Group comes at an auspicious time.
“There is a lot amount of excitement for real-estate knowledge among students at Concordia,” says Yönder.
“I previously taught in the Netherlands and Turkey, where I typically had 20 students per undergraduate course. Here at John Molson, we have more than 10 times that many students enrolled in FINA 420, our real-estate finance course.”
Those students will now have a chance to become proficient with software used by top firms like Ivanhoé Cambridge and Colliers.
What’s more, as Wener Centre director Michel Deslauriers, BComm 85, anticipated a year ago, students will “enter the industry with the knowledge they need to add value to their profession right away.”