Meet Masters in Real Estate Graduate Megan Welch

After four years of working in hospitality development, Megan Welch (MS in Real Estate and Infrastructure ’20) decided she wanted to expand her focus to the wider real estate industry. Now, as a senior associate at The Craddock Group, Welch is using the skills she learned in the classroom to advise government programs to conduct gap analyses and market research.

We sat down with Megan to hear more about her experience.

Why did you choose Johns Hopkins Carey Business School for your MS in Real Estate and Infrastructure?

After four years working in hospitality development, I decided I wanted to expand my focus to the wider real estate industry. Real estate is all about location. I wanted to attend a school where the city could become the classroom and I could learn from industry professionals. Johns Hopkins Carey Business School was the perfect fit as it is situated in the heart of our nation’s capital. At Carey, I found professors who are exceptional leaders, many times acting as sounding boards and guides on our projects.

What was your research focus during your master’s?

For my capstone, I looked at 30 U.S. cities and how their public expenditures in placemaking were able to drive new business establishments. Local business growth has a major impact on the demand for all types of real estate in a city. Much of my research focused on how cities can efficiently deploy their budgets to maximize economic growth. [That] got me interested in how the federal government influences economic growth.

How did the MS in Real Estate and Infrastructure program help your career?

Currently, I’m building on the skills and knowledge that were taught in the classroom in my job as a senior associate at the Craddrock Group, a small consulting firm that advises government agencies on real estate and capital planning. In my role, I help government programs conduct gap analyses and market research.

The real estate program provided me with knowledge of how real estate is developed and managed under current market conditions and how to experience real estate from all perspectives while allowing me the opportunity to flex my curiosity in a new field.

Now, I begin each project with the same approach Carey taught me: Start with a question, discuss it with relevant resources and subject matter experts, and end with a solution that better prepares the federal government to meet future needs— building for what's next.