History

The Aggie Real Estate Network’s roots date back to the late 1970’s when students in the Masters of Land Economics and Real Estate (LERE) Program began gathering as a social and networking group. The organization formalized itself into ATREE (Association of Texas Real Estate Economists) and flourished with the support of Dr. Ivan Schmedemann, the then director of the LERE program.

 

ATREE was renamed The Society of Texas A&M Real Estate Professionals (STAMEP) in the early 1990’s to better define its membership, which was a growing network of real estate property professionals, most with ties to Texas A&M University. It was then rebranded into today’s Aggie Real Estate Network (AREN), a commercial real estate focused organization. The LERE program moved from the College of Agriculture to the Mays Business School in the la te 1990’s as finance was becoming an increasingly important part of the program’s curriculum. 

 

While Dr. Schmedemann remained strongly involved in the organization after retirement in 1998, the Masters program (and indirectly the organization) has been fortunate to further its influence under the continued leadership of Dr. Wayne Etter, Cydney Donnell, Nicky Amos, and currently, Russ Peterson. In 2007, it was renamed the Masters of Real Estate Program.

 

Over the years, AREN has been responsible for a myriad of events for the benefit and continuing education of its members. Today’s organization continues to host an annual conference that allows the membership to network and share knowledge among one another and provides cutting-edge presentations that reflect the current state of the industry. What began as informal, social gatherings at the Schmedemanns’ ranch has grown into a professional network of industry-leading conferences and events thoughout the state.

 

The organization and its members have been responsible for a multitude of endowed scholarships such as the Ivan and Luanne Schmedemann scholarship, the Ed Elmore scholarship, and the A.B. (Pat) Wooten scholarship. 

 

In the 21st century, AREN is dedicated to expanding its membership to include all Aggies and Aggie supporters in the real estate industry. Our members are leading in areas ranging from valuation professionals to financial advisers and lenders, feasibility experts, developers, managers and owners of commercial real estate throughout the country. 

 

As the reach of Aggies in the industry has grown, AREN is now a branch of the broader Aggie Real Estate umbrella. Launched in 2024, a new Aggie Real Estate initiative was enacted thanks to the generous support of Aggies who have committed to advancing the mission of Texas A&M Real Estate. This launch includes a broader education outreach via the university’s programs, a student club, AREN, and the Aggie Real Estate Advisory Board.