Every time my eyes randomly catch the displayed certificates on my office shelf, I find myself smiling wider when I see and remember my Certificate of Completion for the Oxford Real Estate Programme at Saïd Business School. It is my most recent career achievement, and I truly enjoyed my experience there. I learned a lot and met lots of great people.
Choosing Oxford: a careful decision
Prior to my decision to choose Oxford, I had carefully studied the module contents the other business schools were offering. I compared my current job and position as a real estate entrepreneur with what each school was offering, and it was evident that the business school at Oxford captured the key learnings I needed at this stage of my journey.
An essential factor in my search was ensuring a match between the learning methods the school adopts and what best suits my optimal learning styles. As an auditory and experiential learner, I had decided that my next course would be an in-person/classroom one. This decision stemmed from my experience with an online real estate programme last year. Although it was adequately explanatory, I felt there was still more I could have learned through real-time engagements if I had been physically immersed in the learning environment.
Seeking an interactive and up-to-date learning experience
I was seeking a programme that would be more dynamic, interactive, and effective in capturing updated activities in the global real estate scene. I also needed to glean from practicing experts on current trends, recent facts and figures, proptech and projected realities of the real estate sector in the coming years. My goal was to have the programme delivered in a way that would allow for easy assimilation within the shortest possible time. I didn’t want to feel overloaded with information while still handling work remotely from the programme after daily classes.
At Saïd Business School, all these goals were met and exceeded. The blend of classroom-style learning, with panel sessions involving industry experts, experienced professionals, and academics, along with active team projects, greatly helped me gain a deeper understanding of the topics taught. These methods brought my imagination to life, enabling me to fully grasp current concepts in the global real estate sector, thereby achieving my major reasons for pursuing a real estate programme in the first place.
Building global connections
In class, I met seasoned peers from Africa and literally all other continents of the world. We were able to compare experiences from our regions and share practical next steps for our clients and businesses based on what we were learning. I am excited about the opportunities that my current connection with some of my cohort members will create. I have already been referred to one of their contacts recently, as we are encouraged to continue conversations and business relationships through the active post-programme community. I personally consider the friendships and business links built at Oxford University as a ‘lifetime perk’ from my short time there.
Empowered for bold business decisions
For my business post-programme, the key learnings from Oxford helped reshape and adjust our projections for expansion, both locally and globally. Our brainstorming sessions have been significantly stimulated to rethink and realign some of our activities for optimal benefits. In fact, I now feel more empowered to make some bold business decisions I had been contemplating.
I deal with high-net-worth individuals in the real estate, construction and interior design sectors. Now armed with the required real estate information, I am confident and positive that I can lead my team to the next stage of our brand and revenue growth.
As a female entrepreneur of colour, transacting in male-dominated sectors, I always have to ensure that I have updated knowledge and know-how, just as my male colleagues do. I subscribe to various newsletters online, listen to experienced professionals often, and participate in relevant professional discussions. I have now taken a step further to equip myself with a certificate from the prestigious Saïd Business School at Oxford University.
My experience in one word, 'impactful’, and I honestly encourage you to also choose Oxford University. I assure you, it can only get better from here.
