Online Modeling Courss
Does anyone have any experience with the BIWS RE Modeling course? It seems like a great learning opportunity with about a dozen different case studies. Would having this “certification” help a recent graduate stand out, or improve my recruiting chances? I would do it just for the learning, but for $500 I would really need it to help me get a job as well. Thanks!
[{"id": "erwfcsx", "text": "Do you know Argus already? If not, learn that. Never heard of what you\u2019re talking about.", "replies": [{"id": "erwfhh8", "text": "It\u2019s a website called Breaking into Wall Street, but it\u2019s a course that walks you through Modeling value-add, acquisitions, development etc.", "replies": [{"id": "erwmjcu", "text": "I'm doing BIWS right now, I really love how he teaches the material. I mean you should get more feedback and I don't know your exact situation, but I love the course.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "erwnvp8", "text": "Got it. At the end of the day, you\u2019re taking contracts and running the mechanics through a spreadsheet. Once you understand the contract, the rest isn\u2019t difficult to figure out. I would still recommend ARGUS over anything else first.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "erxbtif", "text": "Maybe check out this [free real estate private equity case build](https://www.leveragedbreakdowns.com/2019/04/14/real-estate-investment-case-study-challenge-1/) before dropping $500. I work in REPE and none of my colleagues are impressed by that BIWS course.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "erxdt42", "text": "BIWS is worth every penny. Used it myself, and learned a ton. It\u2019s also broken up such that depending on the type of interviews you are going for (REIT vs. REPE roles), you can go straight to the relevant sections. It may look like there is an overwhelming amount of material given the length of some of the videos, but because you really only need certain parts of the entire course depending on your goals, you can cruise right through it. \n\nMy suggestion would be to work through the downloadable models alongside the actual videos - this will essentially double the time it takes you to get through any of the material, but I found it to be the best way to retain anything I learned. After working through each model with the video, I\u2019d also try and get through the case studies without any guidance. \n\nFor what it\u2019s worth, I\u2019ve also heard good things about the REFM course, although based on a quick skim through their advertising materials, that course offers a lot less depth conceptually - YMMV, though. \n\nHope this helps!\n\nEdit: I would suggest making sure you are familiar with the basics of RE modeling before diving into this course. The videos move pretty quickly through the material so it would definitely help to already know things like how to get down to NOI, calc levered/unlevered net cash flow, etc, at least at a high level. \n\nAlso I\u2019m not sure whether having this certification in itself would help you land interviews, but it will definitely help you get through them. If you don\u2019t have any relevant experience on your resume, this might help show that you\u2019ve taken steps toward learning the fundamentals on your own, though.", "replies": [{"id": "erxdxd3", "text": "Oh, also check out CRE adventures for a TON of great - and free - modeling videos that come with templates you can download. Personally used that website a lot for learning how to model waterfalls and a few REPE case study examples.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "erxfn69", "text": "Wow, I really appreciate this comment. And yeah I don\u2019t have direct RE experience so I assume this will help solidify that I am interested and trying to learn on my own. I was also thinking if I mentioned the case studies on my resume, they might be some key words that help me get through the resume filters allowing me to have it looked at it by a real person.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "es8melg", "text": "Adventures in CRE is more in depth and practical, IMO. Regular updates, and you can pay as much of as little as you want for their models.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]