Wylie resident Thomas Bennet never met his grandfather, but he is determined to follow in his footsteps. Thomas’ grandfather emigrated to the U.S. prior to WWII. He came to America with $50 in his pocket, sold real estate, and taught economics in his spare time.
“I want to be that guy,” Thomas said. “He and my grandmother, who played a large role in raising me, opened up their own real estate branch. As dedicated, honest, hard-working people, their story is very inspiring to me.”
Thomas recently completed six Collin College real estate classes and is preparing to sit for the Texas licensing exam. A Collin College alumnus who earned an Associate of Science Degree, he transferred to The University of Texas at Dallas where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
According to Thomas, the real estate field fits perfectly into his future.
“I wanted to have the skillset to better serve our community, help others make home ownership a reality, and supplement my income well into my retirement,” he said. “Being an alum, it made sense to go back to Collin College. I knew what to expect, and the real estate program absolutely delivered.”
According to Bart McLeroy, real estate discipline lead, the college’s real estate professors are experts in their field with experience in residential, corporate real estate services, and property management.
“Both of the adjunct professors teaching real estate classes at the Wylie Campus, Steven Lay and Randal Levingston, hold the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation which shows that they have a great deal of experience and advanced coursework in financial and market analysis,” Bart said. “Real estate encompasses a whole field of jobs. You can buy and sell homes, manage property, or venture into commercial real estate.”
The college offers real estate classes in five-week, mini-semester formats. This fall students can enroll in Real Estate Finance, Principles of Real Estate II, and Principles of Real Estate III at the Wylie Campus.
When asked about real estate tips Thomas said people should remain calm with market changes and take the time to read contracts before signing them.
“The real estate market is hot right now,” he said. “For the last few years there has been speculation that it will cool off and become a buyers’ market, but we haven’t seen that yet. Even when it does happen, over time you know your home value is just going to increase. It is really one of the safest industries.”
According to Thomas, if people have even a slight interest in real estate and take one class, they will be hooked.
“Collin College fills a void and provides affordable education,” Thomas said. “As a local taxpayer why would I not see where my investment is going and benefit from it. You can develop skills from that investment and turn around and invest them in the community. It is a cyclical decision that just makes sense.”
For more information about the real estate program, visit www.collin.edu/department/realestate/. For more information about the Wylie Campus, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/wylie/.
Photo by Nick Young, Collin College photographer
Reprinted with permission from Wylie “The Connection” magazine.