Membership
The Real Estate Circle is more than an alumni network. It is a community of leaders committed to advancing the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate's mission and ensuring the continued strength and impact of Columbia Business School's MBA Real Estate Program.
At its core, the Circle is built on the belief that the strength of Columbia's real estate community depends upon alumni who remain connected, invest in future generations, and contribute their time, expertise, and philanthropy throughout their careers.
An annual commitment to the Real Estate Circle is a tax-deductible gift to Columbia Business School that directly supports the Center's academic, research, alumni, and industry engagement initiatives. Membership funding helps sustain the programs, partnerships, and experiences that connect alumni, students, faculty, and industry leaders while preparing the next generation of real estate professionals to lead in an increasingly complex global marketplace.
Membership Levels
The Circle’s membership structure is designed to provide a lifelong pathway for engagement and philanthropy, with suggested commitment levels that reflect the many stages of a career in the real estate industry. As alumni grow professionally, many choose to deepen both their engagement with the Center and their philanthropic investment in its mission.
- Circle Recent Graduate: $100
(0–2 years from graduation | Classes of 2025–2026) - Circle Jr Associate: $500 - $999
(3–4 years from graduation | Classes of 2023–2024) - Circle Associate: $1,000 - $4,999
(5–9 years from graduation | Classes of 2018–2022) - Circle Leader: $5,000 - $10,000
(10+ years from graduation | Classes of 2017 and earlier) - Circle Leader Regional*: $2,500 - $10,000
(10+ years from graduation, located 100+ miles from NYC | Classes of 2017 and earlier)
When possible, alumni are encouraged to make an annual contribution above the minimum commitment, at an amount that best reflects their philanthropic goals.
*The Circle Leader Regional membership reflects the continued growth of our alumni community across the country, providing an additional pathway for philanthropic leadership among alumni who have built careers outside the New York metropolitan area.
Making Your Annual Philanthropic Commitment
Your annual philanthropic commitment to the Real Estate Circle may be made through the Columbia Business School giving page: https://business.givenow.columbia.edu/#
- When making your gift, please select “Other” from the designation drop-down menu and enter “Real Estate Circle” in the Comments/Special Instructions field to ensure your contribution is directed to the appropriate fund.
Impact of Membership
A Real Estate Circle membership is both a tax-deductible philanthropic investment and a commitment to the future of real estate at Columbia Business School.
Specifically, annual Circle membership commitments support the following:
Experiential Learning for Current MBA Students
Preparing future real estate leaders through immersive academic, professional, and experiential learning opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom. Circle support funds three annual merit-based Real Estate Circle Fellowships awarded to outstanding MBA students. It also creates opportunities for students to compete against peer schools in national real estate case competitions at UT Austin, Kellogg, and MIT, among others, participate in immersive classroom exercises such as Coming to Terms, where they negotiate complex joint venture agreements alongside practicing real estate attorneys, and explore career opportunities through domestic treks to markets such as Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
The Milstein Center further broadens students' global perspective through international study tours to destinations such as Japan, South Korea, China, and the United Arab Emirates, where students engage in an intensive schedule of company visits, project tours, and cultural experiences while gaining firsthand exposure to global real estate markets, investment strategies, and development practices. These experiences are complemented by industry conferences, mentorship, and other experiential learning opportunities that connect students with Columbia's extraordinary alumni network and prepare them for leadership in the global real estate industry.
Industry-Leading Resources for Students
Providing students and faculty with access to the same analytical tools, technology, and market intelligence relied upon by today's leading real estate firms. Through resources such as ARGUS Enterprise, CompStak, advanced financial modeling, proprietary market data, and subscriptions to leading industry platforms including Green Street and Trepp, students graduate with the technical expertise, industry knowledge, and practical skills needed to excel in an increasingly sophisticated and data-driven real estate industry.
Student Financial Support
Fund three annual merit-based Real Estate Circle Fellowships for outstanding MBA students.
Rigorous Research and Thought Leadership
Support the Milstein Center Research Lab, including faculty-led research, collaborative projects between faculty and industry practitioners, monthly podcasts featuring leading real estate executives, and the Columbia CompStak Rent Index. This work informs industry practice, public policy, and classroom learning.
Lifelong Alumni Community
Providing meaningful opportunities for alumni to remain connected to one another and to Columbia Business School through exclusive networking, regional programming, thought leadership, mentorship, and professional development. These experiences strengthen relationships among alumni, students, faculty, and industry leaders while fostering collaboration, lifelong learning, and a vibrant global real estate community.
Ways to Get Involved
The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle offer numerous opportunities for alumni to engage with Columbia Business School throughout their careers. Whether you are looking to reconnect with classmates, share your expertise with students, participate in industry programming, or make a philanthropic investment in the future of real estate education, there are many meaningful ways to get involved.
Stay Connected
- Activate your profile on CBS RE, the Center's online alumni community.
- Attend alumni events, conferences, market discussions, and networking programs.
- Join select Real Estate Circle events as a guest when space is available.
- Stay informed through Center communications, research, and alumni news.
Share Your Expertise
One of the most meaningful ways to support the Center is by sharing your knowledge and experience with students and fellow alumni. Opportunities include:
- Serve as a mentor to an MBA student.
- Sponsor a business plan project for the Real Estate Capstone course.
- Host students for a company visit.
- Provide access to a property or development for a site visit.
- Speak on a panel, participate in a classroom discussion, or present at a Circle program.
- Recruit Columbia students for internships and full-time opportunities.
- Host a Real Estate Table dinner or regional alumni gathering.
- Share thought leadership through the Research Lab's Featured Viewpoints or other Center initiatives.
Support the Mission
For alumni seeking to deepen their engagement, the Real Estate Circle provides a lifelong pathway for leadership, engagement, and philanthropy. Through annual membership commitments, Circle members invest in the future of the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate while enjoying exclusive networking opportunities, industry programming, and lifelong learning experiences. We hope you’ll join us!
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate team at [email protected].