Becoming a high-performing real estate professional demands more than just fluency in the real estate market. It also requires expertise in finance, market analysis, project management, and a supportive real estate social network. The USC Price Dollinger Masters in Real Estate Development (MRED) provides students with all of these facets in an integrated toolkit to advance their careers. But, don’t take it from us. Take it from our MRED alumni who are doing big things in Southern California.
Adam Daneshgar of Grand Central Market: The Case for a Real Estate Social Network
Adam Daneshgar (MRED ‘09), President of Langdon Street Capital, bought Los Angeles’ historic Grand Central Market as a unique real estate opportunity. “We have over 40 food vendors…Grand Central Market is a microcosm for the community in general. You’ll see a representation of all social classes, all different ethnicities. You experience everything that Los Angeles has to offer.”
Daneshgar began the MRED program in 2008 as a full time student. At the time, his background was in financial underwriting, but he didn’t have any experience in development or public policy. He knew he had a lot to learn, and took the opportunity to build relationships with his professors and fellow students. He learned valuable skills that he could apply immediately upon graduation including understanding the market, making long-term investments, and the importance of a strong real estate social network.
I learned a lot about the importance of a network. Especially in an industry we’re in, like real estate, where you’re never going to have individual success. I found a lot of those relationships in the MRED program. I’m still building upon those relationships by going back and meeting with people from different classes, different years or just an extension of those relationships…you become part of something greater than you and, honestly, even greater than Los Angeles. It’s a network of professionals that you really can’t find anywhere else. It’s irreplaceable.
Adam Daneshgar, MRED ‘09, President, Langdon Street Capital
Affordable housing in Los Angeles through private enterprise partnerships
Jennifer Keith (MRED ‘06), Managing Partner of ETHOS Real Estate, is focused on taking market-rate properties and turning them into affordable housing options. “Los Angeles has a significant housing crisis… we do public-private partnerships, which means we partner with the government to create options. We partner with the housing authority for the City of Los Angeles to covenant rent at affordable levels, with an exchange for not paying property taxes.”
Keith entered the MRED program with a finance background and quickly mastered the foundations of the real estate process. From floor-area ratios to marketing strategy, she learned how private enterprise, public partners, law, and construction intersect—an interdisciplinary approach essential to real estate development.
What I loved about the MRED is that it is not just real estate investing; it’s finance, law, construction, and engaging with the public sector. As someone who is a fiduciary to investors, I have to find value in my approaches. I decided to pursue this program because I was already working in finance, and the MRED encompassed a broad approach to how you could understand the real estate process from buying to marketing. Los Angeles is an area where there is a web of development.
Jennifer Keith, MRED ‘06, Managing Partner, Ethos Real Estate
Real estate finance: IRA Capital, founded by MRED alums, scaled healthcare real estate across the U.S.
Samir Patel and Amer Kasm (MRED ‘09) are the founders of IRA Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on commercial real estate throughout the United States. The two are managing partners who oversee all asset classes, with a heavy focus on medical and healthcare real estate. Their journey together started with the 2008 financial crisis. “Starting with a bleak situation is a guiding principle in the way we invest and make our decisions. Building that trust and confidence in our investor base has allowed us to go out and take risks.”
Prior to starting his MRED, Kasm had a technology background. After being laid off, he decided to venture into real estate and started an advisory firm, which he later transitioned into a brokerage. Patel started as an investment banker before moving into the gas station business, where he realized he needed to learn more about the foundations of real estate development.
USC has allowed us to really take things to the next level. Not only by starting the company, but also during the program, the professors were among the most thoughtful leaders. I am still best friends with the people from the program, and they are investors in our projects. Within Southern California, there’s always some sort of USC affiliation. Because of the MRED program, we have been able to collaborate and make a lasting impact on our community by joining nonprofits and going out and making a difference.
Amer Kasm, MRED ‘09, Co-founder and Managing Partner, IRA Capital
The Dollinger Master in Real Estate Development at USC
Focused on fundamentals with an eye toward innovation, the USC Price Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) empowers students to shape the spaces where people live, work, and thrive. Whether you’re advancing housing equity or designing the next great retail experience, MRED gives you the skills to turn vision into impact – combining deep financial expertise, practical experience, and a passion for community.
Our alumni said it best when they shared their experiences leveraging the Trojan Family Network as a powerful career accelerator. The Trojan Family’s deep bench of developers, urban planners, and leaders across the public and private sector are assets to MRED students and alumni. You’ll learn from faculty with years of industry experience, join the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate network, and use Los Angeles as a living laboratory while gaining a global perspective. The curriculum builds expertise in finance and deal structuring, market analysis, site planning, political approvals, project management, and governance reinforced by coursework and site visits leaving MRED alumni prepared for high-impact work as modern real estate professionals.
Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development
Build environments for people to live, work, and thrive.
The Dollinger Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) will prepare you to shape the future of real estate.
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