Jeffrey Metz (’80 BBA-Real Estate & Urban Development) exudes enthusiasm for the real estate industry and is on a mission to help more Lubar College of Business students find their way into the field.
“Real estate has been a great career for me,” he said. “It’s a highly entrepreneurial business and you can become very financially successful. I’d love to see more students enter the industry and continue to help Milwaukee grow.”
Metz has spent over 40 years building his own success in real estate and construction, first in real estate syndication, then as an executive with a design/build/construction company, and most recently as owner of RE Enterprises, LLC, a development, investment, and real estate services company.
He says that the industry is so broad – from development to construction, financing to property management, commercial to industrial to residential, and more – that opportunities are “abundant” for young people seeking a fulfilling career. “Real estate is literally part of every facet of our lives – our homes, schools, stores, workplace,” he added.
Personally, Metz says he caught the “building bug” from his father, who was a small-time investor in properties. Jeffrey Metz purchased his own first duplex as an 18-year old college student on 43rd & Vliet. (A third generation has also subsequently entered the field – Metz’s son Maxwell.)
Now he’s hoping to instill that same passion in more Lubar College students by working with the college and real estate executives in the region to build better pathways between the real estate program and employers.
“Milwaukee has come a long way and is such a great city because of great planning and development,” Metz said, citing the Riverwalk, Summerfest, Deer District, and the new Northwestern Mutual headquarters, as well as residential developments such as Ascent and Couture.
“I’m excited to help UWM grow the pipeline of talent to keep this city growing,” said Metz, who is also funding an endowed scholarship with his wife Debra for Lubar students studying real estate.