Schram hopes to serve as a “connector” for UREC members during presidency

In August, UNC senior Olivia Schram was named co-president to lead the Undergraduate Real Estate Club (UREC) through the 2024-25 academic year. Schram will work alongside incumbent co-president Adam Lee, whose term ends in December. We spoke with Schram, who is majoring in Business Administration with a focus in real estate and minoring in urban studies and planning to learn more about how she hopes to make an impact on UREC in the coming year.

Why are you passionate about Real Estate?

I’m passionate about bringing people together and contributing to building sustainable communities. I enjoy making spaces feel like home and seeing how properties impact people’s lives. Real estate allows me to explore new places, learn about neighborhoods and market trends, and stay engaged with the ever-evolving industry. I’m also drawn to real estate because it’s tangible and there’s always something new to adapt to. This excitement fuels my passion and drives me to continually expand my knowledge.

Why are you a part of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club? How do you believe it benefits UNC Real Estate students?

I am a part of UREC because I value the educational opportunities and resources that the Wood Center provides to students at UNC, and I want these opportunities and resources to be easily accessible to anyone studying real estate. I hope to be a connector between students and a newfound passion for studying how Real estate can impact your community in a beneficial way.

What is your vision for the club during your term?

I hope to expand the mentorship program to form internal and external connections within UNC Real Estate, whether that means building relationships between underclassman, upperclassman, MBA students, alumni, and employers. I want everyone to feel comfortable at each of our meetings and be able to talk to anyone in the room, regardless of their experience level.

I would also like to invite local real estate developers to come to our meetings to educate our club on their experiences and make valuable connections.

(From left) Adam Lee, Emily Shih, Liv Schram, and Andre Goldsmith won second place in the ICSC & UNC Retail Real Estate Case Competition in May 2023.

Given that you are stepping into leadership after your co-president, Adam Lee, led UREC last semester alongside a different co-president, how do you plan to transition into this role and integrate with an already established team?

Since Will Hardesty has recently accepted a role on the Real Estate Fund, he is stepping down as co-president, and I will be working with Adam throughout this next semester. I am excited for Will to be a part of the Fund, and eager to start working with Adam. Adam and I are friends from joining the same business society freshman year and have been good friends ever since. We both competed in a retail case competition together last year and worked very well together. I am excited for the ideas we have come up with for the semester.

What qualities about you and your co-president do you believe will make you a good team to lead UREC together?

Adam and I have had internships in various asset classes and positions in Real Estate. We will balance each other with our experiences from our experience in Development, Acquisitions and Portfolio Management.

We have the privilege to work closely with Lynn Tocci, our associate director at the Wood Center. She has helped guide us all throughout our real estate learning so far, and I think we can all work well together.

How do you believe you can positively impact the UNC Real Estate Community?

I believe I can positively impact the UNC Real Estate community by forming more community events to bring people together to understand why Real Estate is focused on relationships. I hope to host a social event to build relationships and partner with local businesses to create a positive impact on the Chapel Hill community.

I want to be a connector, connecting students with resources, other students, employers and alumni.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years I want to still be growing, learning and curious. Regardless of the firm I will be working at, I hope that I am challenging myself every day and working hard to become a better version of myself.

If someone is interested in joining the club, how can they get involved?

We have our club meetings every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at McColl 3500. Come and see us to join our Groupme or Listserv! We also have an amazing advisor, Lynn Tocci, and you can sign up for a meeting with her to learn how to get started learning about real estate.