Pay It Forward: UF professor Dr. David Ling on building the Future of Real Estate

Episode 890 of Fried On Business comes from the University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies, where Jim Fried sits down with longtime friend and professor Dr. David Ling to talk about the program that helped shape Jim’s career—and continues shaping the next generation of real estate leaders. Jim and Dr. Ling look back at the center’s early days, when a small advisory group met almost informally, and compare that to today’s nationally and internationally recognized program with a 160-member advisory board, a highly competitive Master of Science in Real Estate program, and hundreds of undergraduates pursuing the real estate minor. They discuss what makes the students stand out: strong academics, meaningful internship experience, communication skills, critical thinking, and the ability to turn data into useful information and better decisions. Dr. Ling also explains the center’s mentorship model, where industry professionals help students think through career paths, build relationships, and connect with employers. For Jim, the episode becomes deeply personal. He tells the story of how Kelly Bergstrom helped him land his first real estate internship, how that opportunity started a chain of relationships that shaped his career, and why he now feels responsible for paying that opportunity forward to younger professionals. Jim also reflects on a promise he made to his mother, a Realtor and single mom, that one day he would make her proud by working on major commercial real estate transactions. The University of Florida gave him the foundation to pursue that goal. The bottom line is gratitude: gratitude for Dr. Ling, Kelly Bergstrom, Nathan Collier, the UF Foundation, the students, alumni, mentors, and the network that has grown around the program. It is a conversation about education, mentorship, relationships, opportunity, and what happens when one generation deliberately helps the next one succeed. It is also a reminder that careers rarely happen alone. They are built through teachers, mentors, friendships, generosity, and people willing to open doors. 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/61264180...