Profile:

Name: Dipl.-Ing. Julius Alexander Fink, MSc

ACE-Degree: MSc (Real Estate - Investment & Valuation)

Graduation: Class of 2019

Current position and employer: Architect and Managing Director of AREAL Immobilien-Invest. GmbH (in development)

What makes the real estate programs at TU Wien so successful?

"I think it is a mixture of many factors that make up the harmonious and successful overall concept. In my opinion, the homogeneous distribution of the various focal points of technology, law and business should be emphasized. The program thus offers a balanced transfer of knowledge in all areas, this is complemented by renowned lecturers with practical experience."

Why is a degree in real estate from TU Wien so highly regarded by real estate employers today?

"Since real estate development is becoming more and more complex and this is also strongly related to technology, a degree from the University of Technology is certainly a good choice. In my opinion, even for colleagues with a non-technical background, the right amount of real estate-specific is imparted, so that every graduate at the very least also has a good basis for future construction-related questions in practice. This all-encompassing basic knowledge of real estate in the essential areas (technology, law, economics) is very much appreciated by an employer with knowledge of the industry.

The Vienna University of Technology has been offering these real estate programs for over 30 years and was one of the first universities in the German-speaking market to offer an academic education in real estate management. I think such a long successful history is self-explanatory for the reputation."

What were the most important learnings at ACE for your real estate career as an architect?

"Looking back, the architecture studies were rather technical and artistic; the focus was not on legal and economic topics, which are unavoidable in real estate development. Although I was able to specialize in project development during my architecture master's degree and some relevant topics were also covered during the civil engineer exam, these were mostly limited to the purely structural development of real estate. I lacked further basic knowledge covering the entire cycle of real estate project development. I was able to acquire this missing knowledge through the MSc Real Estate Investment & Valuation at the TU Vienna - so this was the perfect complement for me."

How has your career developed since graduating from TU Wien?

"By completing the real estate program, I got an excellent overview of the entire real estate project development. It is and was from then on possible for me to understand interrelationships in this area well. In addition, I was able to gain various professional experiences with project developers, these experiences and these trainings were and are currently a good basis for my further path."

How was or is the relationship with your fellow students?

"My colleagues came from a wide variety of industries, so we were able to benefit from each other's knowledge and experience, which is still very much in use today in our WhatsApp group. After the courses on Friday and Saturday, there were often conversations and discussions in nearby pubs, which also created friendships in the long term. Apart from the excellent network, which is additionally maintained after the studies as alumni by ImmoABS with various get-togethers and excursions."

What memories do you have when you think back to your studies at TU Wien?

"Working full time and at the same time having scheduled with lectures and exams on the weekends was of course exhausting, yet I wouldn't want to miss this program under any circumstances. It was a rigorous but also a very exciting and interesting time."

 How would you describe your real estate studies at TU Wien in one word?

"Valuable."