All Forum Posts by: Matthew Gentile

Getting an MBA to be your own boss is absolutely crazy in my opinion.  Want to impress clients/banks/investors then put together a great business plan and come in with some numbers that work.  

An MBA really only impresses folks with MBAs.  I should note that I have 2 bachelor's degrees so maybe I am one of those jealous folks mentioned above.  Unless you are looking for a corporate gig I would say skip it.  One last thing.  Adding an MBA to a stem field degree is significantly better than adding one to say a business administration degree.  Most people who scream the importance of an MBA went to business school and that was the logical next step.

@Matthew Gentile

Let me give u the 2 word answer

It's useless

I was in a similar enough position, so I thought I would weigh in. A few years ago I was looking into Masters in RE development programs, for knowledge and for a credential that could be used to work under/partner with an existing developer. There were no local programs, all would be online. 

I was ultimately swayed by people in my orbit to get an Executive MBA (no specializations, canned program), for the network and for the serendipitous possibilities that could come from my fellow students and the professors. I went to the best school available locally, due to familial obligations. 

I finished a year ago, and I was very critical of the quality of the content, given the cost. Did I learn anything earth shattering, no. I had a Finance undergrad, a grad cert in RE Investment, and had studied business for twenty years post undergrad. 

I did get introduced to a local group of mostly alumni that is focused on the buying and growing of existing businesses, which I believe will be more valuable than the time and cost of the degree. Most of the projects that I am working on right now are a result of that group and I am actively searching for an acquisition target in a RE related industry. 

Would I be where I am without it, I can't say that. Maybe I would have been somewhere equally interesting if I had gotten the Masters in RE Development, which I still might do someday, given enough free time. 

Does anyone that I meet say "Oh, you have an MBA?", no. But they do say "Oh, you went to Case?", (for what that is worth). And where I am headed I think that the credentialing and clout that carries locally is beneficial, though definitely not required. You could bootstrap the education through self study and reach a similar network otherwise, but I made a call and saw it through.

If you are not in a corporate environment, and you are paying for it yourself, the ROI is going to be what you make of it.

 MBA was "hot" back in 80s or 90s. 

But these days, looking at various Silicon Valley tech companies, most leadership positions are still held by those with master's degrees, but mostly master's in particular fields, such as Master's in Engineering in a reputable university.  Even then, the corporate ladder is usually pursued after promotion with career aspirations in management. 

I've checked the biggest employer is still a company like McKinsey, Deloitte or BCG. I checked DR Horton is not even looking for an MBA. Google employed 400-ish MBA.

@Matthew Gentile I have a business degree from an elite university. At the time I also took some graduate business courses. I would not say anything about it has helped with my real estate.

I have always had the option of getting a graduate degree but never felt the expense would justify what little benefit I would receive.

I have an MBA and I work in Corporate Real Estate. It's helped me tremendously... just the case studies you cover alone are helpful in the corporate work environment. The only people who have ever told me that an MBA was a waste of time and money are the ones who never pursued one (I'm not exaggerating when I say that).

However I didn't pursue my MBA because I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I was feeling stuck at the time and needed inspiration to help me "find my calling." My grad school experience did just that for me. My experience has also beneffited me as I embark on my personal real estate investment journey as well. My soft skills and ability to communicate and strategize on the fly have increased in ways I didn't think possible for me.

So yeah, 100% worth it if you can make it happen, but like anything else in life, you will only get out of it what you put it. Good luck!!

I'm all for college eduation, contrary to the crowds, I believe the experience prepares you for adulting. I run in to all kinds of newbies who skipped college to get in to real estate and they have no idea how to communicate with adults or get what they want. That's what college is for and I think everyone should go. 

That being said, I have a teaching degree which from a content perspective, gives me no advantage at all, but I am doing just fine. 

Getting an MBA would not help me one bit, so I'd say that's probably a waste of time, money and energy. 

It's part of the landscape of the W 2 wage slave.

There are people in here who could take that money you would pay to some university, and turn it into a nice fortune in a reasonable amount of time.

There are no university classes that will teach you how to do that.

Good Luck!

 I think with the MBA you can use that in your sig.. like the other one I dont know if U can or what it would be called.. Of course in our bizz nothing trumps experience.. myself I never attended collage. But I got my RE license at 18 and brokers at 20.. when I needed it I got my Mortgage bankers license as well.. And of course my contractors license.. I needed all of them  RE license to sell RE  Mortgage to do private loans in the states that require it.. and contractors to build the homes I am building and then on top of that I have a developers license in Oregon ( no test required just a money grab And when I was figuring out what I wanted to do I got my pilots license around 20 too.. as I really wanted to be an airline pilot.. but alas in those days it was very hard to get hired not like today. So just had to fullfil my flying desires personally and pay to fly instead of getting paid to fly. 

this is what I love about RE you get paid to learn and do deals. Its not an easy bizz for sure and there of course are a lot of ups and downs.. .but all in all it does allow someone like me to be self employed my entire life.. And you see so many on BP that cant wait to quit their jobs.. :)  

I'm fully licensed agent and tbh, I've seen some things where agents barely make any effort on properties, so yeah I hope some get out of the business and leave it the market share to the ones who actually know about real estate.

I do think Redfin/Zillow and big platforms are waiting on something like this to happen to fully take control of the market which IMO is more scare then the latter.