M.S. in Commercial Real Estate student Anji Raymond began working in property management right after high school. That experience led her to obtain her real estate license in Georgia and California, and later, become an associate broker in Georgia.
After showing “about a million” apartments, working in the residential sector lost a bit of its luster, and Raymond began to seek out new challenges. Commercial real estate was unknown territory, and the lack of representation in the field made Raymond even more determined to break into that side of the market. With a computer programming degree and no prior experience in finance aside from one accounting class, Raymond was prepared to learn the foundations and work hard to build from there.
“I knew probably one term: NOI, or net operating income. In property management, that’s driven very hard because NOI affects how much money property managers make,” she said.
Robinson appealed to Raymond because it is a top 10 school in a major city that offers her the chance to be near family, focus exclusively on commercial real estate, and maintain a good work-life balance.
In addition to her studies, Raymond works as a technical account manager for Yardi, a property management software popular with apartment communities. She works in the affordable housing department, supporting clients who use U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development resources, including the low-income housing tax credit and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
Raymond is also a writer, director, actor, and abstract artist. She recently merged those interests in a project for her finance class. Using the ARGUS software solution, she created a model that determines the value and potential cash flow of sound stage properties.
“I couldn't believe how much money can be made by buying a raw piece of land, developing it into a sound stage--which is really just industrial warehouses--and then reselling it,” Raymond said. “Seeing how real estate and entertainment can be combined is highly interesting to me. That project helped me find my place in the commercial real estate field.”
Raymond hopes to further blend her passions in the future. She aspires to own a property management group, oversee a deal for a sound stage, and allocate a percentage of a high-end residential property for people in need of affordable housing.