My name is Nicholas and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC currently majoring in real estate. The program I am enrolled in at Sauder is a dual degree program in which you graduate with a diploma in Urban Land Economics and a bachelor’s in Business In Real Estate. This program differs from the Bachelor of Commerce as it is a more specialized degree. Upon graduation, I will have taken 16 real estate courses. In contrast, the real estate specialization in the commerce program only entails five courses.
In addition to these degrees, I also obtained my real estate trading services license from Sauder in 2019. This license allows me to act as a real estate broker in both commercial and residential property transactions. I am also currently working towards my AACI designation. This professional designation is issued from the Appraisal Institute of Canada with the educational components administered by Sauder. This designation will allow me to conduct appraisal reports for all types of properties. I am currently on track to be the youngest recipient of this designation.
Upon graduation, I intend to continue working at the appraisal firm I worked at for the past year. Obtaining my designation next December will allow me to further my career and be promoted to a non-entry level position. I intend to continue to work in this position for the next five to eight years and then transition to a telecommuting role. The beauty of a career in appraisals is that they can be conducted from anywhere in the world as long as someone can physically inspect the property for you. My end goal once my five to eight years are completed is to move away to Japan while continuing to complete appraisal reports. By moving away, I will be able to maintain my income level while living abroad with a lower cost of living.