Touro College is launching a new residential real estate education program. The program is getting off the ground through the efforts of Michael Williams, dean of Touro’s Graduate School of Business, and Esther Muller, an adjunct professor at Touro’s business school, who will serve as the program’s director. Muller is a real estate veteran who has been a top producer at Prudential Douglas Elliman, and was involved in converting several city buildings into condos, including the Ansonia, Lenori and Parc Vendome.
“Most people come into this profession by default, because they couldn’t get another job and thought they would make a lot of money,” Muller said. “We’re taking it to a whole new level of professionalism.”
The program is for anyone looking to get into the broker business, and for agents who might want to brush up on real estate trends and marketing tactics. “Today’s consumer doesn’t just want a warm body to show where the kitchen is,” Williams said. “There needs to be conversations based on data and good information.”
The program will offer a certificate course, and a new master’s program, which will be submitted to New York State for accreditation, is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2009.