Mark Karlan - His pathway to teaching real estate

Mark Karlan is a 59-year-old UCLA Anderson School professor that has made over $7 billion for his respected companies. Karlan graduated from Harvard College studying economics in 1980 and was Magna Cum Laude from Harvard 1980 and won John Harvard Scholarship for academic achievement of the highest distinction. He then received a JD/MBA from both Harvard Business and Law School in 1984.

At the age of 22 he joined JMB Realty corporation, which at the time was a medium size investing firm. Karlan quickly made his presence known and became the Senior Vice President of Acquisition and acquired and managed over $6 billion worth of assets. By 1990 he was the youngest partner ever in the firm and acquired Cadillac Fairview Inc. for $5 Billion.
Karlan was then approached by Imperial Credit Commercial Bank and created a REIT under the bank. He was CEO, founder, and board member of Imperial Credit Commercial Mortgage Investment Corp. and managed over $100 worth of assets. In the year 2000 Karlan raised $500 in equity and began to invest in both commercial real estate and commercial property loans in the United States and Europe.
Karlan decided to leave Imperial Credit in 2000 for personal reasons but then joined CBRE Global Investors in 2006. Karlan was the president and founder of the firm’s strategic partners Asia fund, opening offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, and Singapore. Karlan’s business plan was simple, invest in value add real estate throughout Asia. He was able to raise $1.2 billion and made the company an large profit.
Karlan left CBRE Global Investors in 2011 to become a Real Estate Finance Professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business. Karlan made quite an impression through his lasting career, and his impact will only grow as time goes on by virtue of his students.

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