At APG Advisors, we offer an 8-week Summer Internship Program, providing career-based learning experiences that involve a “real world” work environment and standard workplace expectations. This program provides exposure to the multiple facets of the commercial real estate industry, with interns learning about different types of properties (retail, industrial, office, multifamily, land), real estate research platforms and methods to obtain information for investment decisions.
Today let’s meet Matt Higdon, our newest summer intern for 2023.
Where did you attend college and what did you major in?
I went to Virginia Tech and graduated with a double major in Finance and Real Estate.
What drove your interest in commercial real estate?
Real estate has always been something I have had a passion for. I grew up in North Carolina and spent a lot of time on the coast. I remember from a very young age being awestruck by the beautiful and unique homes we have up and down our Atlantic boarder. I loved to visit downtown Raleigh and Charlotte and see the big skyscrapers dominate the skyline. Now, I get to carry that fascination with me into my career. Real estate is such a is a pivotable part of society and our economy, its tangible and real. By being involved in commercial real estate I hope to be able to positively impact people’s lives and the communities where they live and work.
What drew you to APG Companies?
There are several reasons why APG was appealing to me. First off, any company only goes as far as the people who work there and the people here at APG are truly genuine and talented professionals. Next, the company is here in Raleigh, which is home for me, and somewhere I knew I wanted to return to after graduating college. Finally, APG offers services including brokerage, development, property management, research and marketing, and acquisitions and investments. I wanted to be exposed to all these facets that are so crucial to this industry.
What do you most hope to achieve during this summer internship?
My goal for this internship is to be a sponge and soak up as much information as possible. The team here is extremely talented and experienced in the industry and I know I can learn immensely from them.
It is my job to be a fly on the wall and absorb everything I can.
Being a native of the Triangle you have had opportunity to witness the region’s significant growth over the last decade. What would you consider to be the most impactful CRE deal of the decade?
Obviously, the expansion of the Research Triangle Park has played a crucial role in the development and growth of the Raleigh area in the past several decades. We have seen significant investment of companies in RTP by the likes of IBM, Fidelity Investments, Bayer, and Cisco just to name of few.
While its impact is yet to be seen, I think the Apple headquarters here in Raleigh will prove to be a hugely influential commercial real estate deal. Having a company like Apple invest millions of dollars into our state is extremely exciting and I look forward to watching its effect on our economy and further establishing North Carolina as a hub for technological advancements.