San Jacinto College real estate students find employment as market picks up

San Jacinto College student and real estate agent Patrick McFarland places a “For Sale” sign on a house, located along Harbor Drive in Galveston County. McFarland recently began working full time in real estate after his job was eliminated at AT&T. Photo credit: Jeannie Peng-Armao, San Jacinto College marketing department.

It was the year of the housing crisis and peak of the recession in 2008 when San Jacinto College student Patrick McFarland of Tyler found that he no longer had a job with AT&T. Like so many suffering from mass layoffs, he quickly swung into action to gain employment in a completely different industry. However, he chose the one blamed for the economic downward spiral – real estate.

“August looks like it is going to be my best month so far,” predicts McFarland, who works full time for Century 21 Paramount. “Things are getting better, but they never got as bad in Houston compared to what the rest of the nation had to deal with.”

For more than a year, McFarland was studying computer technology at San Jacinto College before losing his job.

“I planned on selling homes part time for a couple of years, but decided to go full time when I was laid off,” he said. “I lived off savings and my separation package until now, because I am making the money I need to stay in real estate.”

Selling homes is McFarland’s talent, but it’s not the only position for those interested in working in the real estate industry. Kevin Morris, real estate professor at San Jacinto College and a licensed real estate broker, said students with a real estate license or degree can obtain jobs in residential or commercial brokerage, mortgage lending, home inspection, apartment locating, property management, appraisal, government service, title services and personal investment.

Entering a college real estate program can speed up a student’s process in entering the workforce.

“Many students are able to go to work immediately at a local real estate firm,” Morris said. “We have practicum sites, similar to internships, with different companies where students work with different real estate companies; some gain employees through these connections. We certainly attempt to place them.”

Adjunct instructor Gail Bevill, a real estate broker and owner of Green Apple Real Estate, is an employer of several San Jacinto College graduates. She said SJC real estate students are taught how to use their resources and effectively market themselves.

“It is an exciting time to be selling real estate in the greater Houston – Galveston area,” Bevill said. “With the advancement of social media marketing, the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit available and a variety of inventory homes, including foreclosures, our graduates may have more opportunities than ever.”

Bevill and Morris also remind students of years past when real estate professionals have weathered rough economy.

“Just like the 1980s, we saw the same thing with large foreclosures and received some creative lending that was not financially sound,” Morris said. “When the turnaround happened, sales started to move up. And like we have right now, a lot of people took advantage of the low housing prices and ended up having the highest equity value down the line.”

McFarland continues to stay positive and make a living selling homes while sticking to his motto: “Somebody has to sell the house whether it is an individual or a bank. Somebody will buy the property when it gets to the right price.”

“There have always been opportunities, some just take a little longer than others,” he said. “Go ahead and learn it now so you will be able to take advantage of the rebound. I also have heard that in the next 20 years, 13 million people will be moving to Texas. That is a lot of people that have to live and work on real estate.”

San Jacinto College offers a two-year program for students who want to earn an associate of applied science, while preparing for jobs in real estate and for sales or broker licensure. Students may also receive technical and occupational certificates in real estate.

San Jacinto College serves more than 24,500 students in over 140 degrees and certificates in university transfer and technical programs. The College also serves the community through workforce training. Students come with various goals and aspirations and we are committed to their success. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150 or visit www.sanjac.edu.

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