Nick De Luna ’18, a Cal State Fullerton grad in the real estate industry, stands in front of a property he manages in his role as Colliers International assistant commercial property manager. Photo credit: Jocelyn De Luna. 

With ARGUS software, commercial real estate professionals have access to cash flow projections, transaction analysis and asset valuation that transforms the development and use of multi-tenant buildings, ensuring that the real estate industry best meets the needs of today’s consumers and communities.

Through ARGUS certification, professionals can set themselves above the pack, with applied knowledge of valuation cash flow, including best options for rent calculation; repertoire reporting, which facilitates flexibility in reporting; and sensitivity analysis, providing stress testing for cash flow projections and valuation assumptions before implementation.

Cal State Fullerton’s Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is at the forefront of preparing real estate-focused students – and alumni – in this innovative technology. Through the annual ARGUS Training, a two-day workshop in which attendees gain industry professional advising, current students get a scholarship-funded reimbursement of $400 from the Mihaylo College Center for Real Estate for minimum ARGUS test scores of 70% or higher. Because of this program, Mihaylo College is one of only five accredited business schools in California to offer this training opportunity.

The most recent workshop, in April 2019, led by alumnus, Center for Real Estate Advisory Board member and King Real Estate Group president Steve Haddadin ’18, was a sell-out event, featuring 36 students and alumni, planning to pursue opportunities with companies such as Cushman & Wakefield, Lee & Associates, and Newmark Knight Frank.

Details about the upcoming 2020 training will be available in coming months.

Nick De Luna ’18: A Management Student Transforms His Career Through ARGUS

Colliers International Assistant Commercial Property Manager Nick De Luna had no family or friends in the real estate industry when he began his quest for a bachelor’s degree at Cal State Fullerton in 2014.

As a sophomore, De Luna, recognizing the importance of getting a career head start through an internship, landed a commercial property management retail part-time paid internship through the CSUF Career Center.

“The internship turned into a part-time job,” he says. “I stayed with the company, Investment Concepts Inc., for three years while earning my degree. My tenure there taught me the basic ins and outs of the industry, and more importantly, I learned that I enjoy property management and want to make this my career.

“Beginning in a catchall role such as a property administrator and later developing into an assistant property manager allowed me to get to know the industry well, even before graduation. Thanks to that experience, I landed my current job at Colliers International just a few months after graduation. I’ve been at Colliers for about a year now and am extremely happy and continue to develop my skills.”

After attending a panel discussion sponsored by the Real Estate and Land Use Institute (RELUI) – now the Center for Real Estate – De Luna learned of ARGUS and the benefits it provides for résumé development.

“It turned out that RELUI was sponsoring a workshop, so I attended in November, passed the certification in January, and even received the scholarship to cover the testing fees,” he recalls. “This program is an amazing benefit to CSUF students. ARGUS certification has been a part of my résumé ever since, and it has helped me stand out from others in the industry. I would love to see other Titans take advantage of this.”

De Luna remains connected to his alma mater, with faculty, staff and former classmates of all majors central to his social and support networks.

“As a student, I thought the saying ‘it is about who you know, not what you know’ was just a cliché. But being out in the workplace has taught me that taking care of relationships, growing my network and taking responsibility of my own career is pivotal,” he says. “The opportunities don’t just come, it takes initiative to make that happen. For me, it was baptism by fire. I am a naturally quiet person, so when I first started networking it was daunting, to say the least. Coming out into the professional world, I had to adapt and adjust to the need for socializing.

“But we are each in charge of our own future. If you are willing to be proactive about your personal growth, you will succeed.”

For More on Real Estate

The Center for Real Estate sponsors an undergraduate program in real estate, provides opportunities for networking and scholarships for students of all majors considering real estate-related careers, and provides career and internship advising and connections in such fields as commercial and residential real estate and property management.

Thanks to an articulation agreement with the California Department of Real Estate, students need only complete the real estate academic track, including all eight courses required by the department, before sitting for a broker license exam, without any prior industry experience.

The center also provides opportunities for professional networking and development for veteran real estate industry leaders through its advisory board, events and research.

For more information, visit the center online. Or read more of our articles about Mihaylo College real estate education.