The AUB Real Estate Club (REC) has written a new chapter in campus history, evolving from modest beginnings into one of AUB’s largest and most dynamic student organizations. Today, it stands as one of the biggest clubs at the American University of Beirut out of 54 other clubs—a record untouched since 2017.

But the real story lies deeper: how a small, committed group of students turned a vision into a legacy.

Founded in 2017 with just 40 members, the club’s early days were humble. Back in 2021, during events, cabinet members were the sole attendees. Everything began in 2023.

At the start of the above-mentioned academic year, REC only had around 80 registered members and fewer than 200 students in its WhatsApp group. We had no background, no real advertising, and no previous events to build on. We gathered the cabinet, held long meetings across several weeks, and visualized our growth in the future. We built a top corporate club at the university, a club that prepares students for real opportunities.

Armed with a vision and unwavering belief, the Real Estate Club launched into action.

Following a successful presence at the AUB Career Fair, REC’s social media following hit a thousand on our Instagram page, leading to a significant increase of 500 students on our WhatsApp group. Soon after, the club secured its first major partnership with Excelsa, a leading private equity real estate firm. Workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions followed, tapping into a growing student interest in real estate—a field that bridges diverse majors and professional interests.

Recognizing the opportunity, and after a series of successful events, the club set its sights even higher. In late 2023, REC launched the Real Estate Community Lebanon, creating real estate clubs across five leading Lebanese universities: LAU, USEK, USJ, UOB, and NDU. The inauguration event at Le Royal Dbayeh drew over 500 live attendees, a milestone that marked the true beginning of the REC movement.

Momentum built rapidly. We partnered with some of the most prestigious firms in the world, organizing major events such as:

• JLL x REC Recruiting Event with Jones Lang Lasalle
• Commercial Bank of Qatar Real Estate Session
• Confidence Real Estate Exclusive Workshop

And yet, despite our success, the year wasn’t without challenges. After founding the 2024 cabinet and due to the regional war, AUB canceled the Club Fair—a critical event for recruiting new members-–and all the other events on campus. Despite the obstacles, we made sure to adapt. The team launched online workshops, created the REC Resource Folder filled with free CV templates, cover letter guides, and real estate books, and kept the community active and prepared for a strong comeback in the Spring Semester. We launched the AUB Real Estate Club website as well and the REC membership card, one of the first among the clubs at the university.

When the Spring Semester arrived, the Real Estate Club seized the moment. In a series of landmark events, REC hosted the following:

• Goldman Sachs Real Estate Panel
• McKinsey & Company Real Estate Session
• Allegiance Dubai Market Insights
• KSA Real Estate Market Overview with Arrab Tayyan
• Real Estate CEOs Conference featuring four leading CEOs from the Lebanese real estate industry, gathering over 400 live attendees.

Every event was successful and reached full capacity.

Our vision never wavered. We believed in it from the start. We built a community from scratch, and we were able to gather around 1,350 active members, more than 800 students in our WhatsApp group, and 320 registered on AUB SIS.

Beyond the numbers, the club made a tangible impact: opening career doors, inspiring future leaders, and giving students a real platform to grow.

At the heart of AUB’s dynamic campus, the Real Estate Club stands not just as a student organization—but as a living example of vision, resilience, and the power of believing in the future.

A few shots of our events this year…