Terence opened the session by hearing directly from each student, asking them about their backgrounds, what sparked their interest in real estate, and what they hoped to gain from the session. I was struck by how personable Terence was in his interactions with the students, regarding each personal conversation with care and curiosity.

Terence’s advice to “be a sponge” was in response to a question directed at him about advice that he had for those embarking on a career in real estate. He exhorted students to absorb as many things as they could, to do anything and everything that they can to learn as much as possible, as long as it was in the trajectory of their desired career path.

Tailored to the diverse group of undergraduate and postgraduate students who were all pursuing degrees with a focus on real estate, Terence provided insights across different career stages. For those with a few years of work experience under their belt, he advised that they think about management programs and MBAs to enhance their skill set, and to strategically build their career during the prime decade of their 30s, so as to lay the foundation for their careers to peak in their 40s.

The wide ranging and in-depth conversation spanned everything from career advice to observations of the role of technology in current society, to skill sets needed to succeed in the workplace. The five students present were lucky to be able to spend a morning with a clear titan of the real estate industry, who was so generous with his time.