Dan Magalhaes
Are career paths ever linear? The most interesting ones certainly are not! Meet Dan Magalhaes, our student spotlight in this issue and MS-REBE student who made a career pivot and brings a healthy perspective to his next chapter.
Can you share your journey to grad school?
Growing up in the downtowns of two major North American cities—Toronto and Chicago—gave me a deep appreciation for the built environment. These experiences sparked my curiosity about how spaces shape the way people live, foster identity and contribute to overall well-being.
Health and wellness have always been central to my values, shaping the direction of my early professional journey. After completing my undergraduate degree in human physiology and nutrition science, I became a registered dietitian and established a career in the health and fitness industry. This gave me the opportunity to work closely with people every day, developing personalized strategies to enhance their health and quality of life. During this time, I launched a nutrition coaching and consulting business, which allowed me to positively impact hundreds of lives over the past decade.
The success of that business opened the door for me to explore real estate as an investment. It reignited my long-standing curiosity in real estate and my passion for creating meaningful places where people can truly thrive.
What brought you Daniels and the Burns School?
After dabbling in residential real estate investments, I became interested in learning the mechanics of larger and more complex deals. I initially enrolled at the Burns School to pursue a graduate certificate in real estate finance, aiming to develop the skills necessary to analyze and underwrite income-producing real estate. That summer of studying real estate finance with Jeff Engelstad was so impactful and engaging that I found myself thinking, “I want to do this for a living.”
Following that, I decided to take the next step by pursuing a master’s degree in real estate and the built environment, with a focus on real estate finance and development. Housing development has become a significant focus of mine, prompting me to explore questions like, “How can we increase the supply of affordable and attainable housing?” and “How can we design spaces and communities that enhance both the physical and mental well-being of their residents?”
What would people be surprised to know about you?
This may not come as a surprise to some, but I’ve been involved in competitive athletics my entire life and thrive in competitive environments. I played competitive soccer internationally as a kid and teen, and spent over a decade competing in “iron sports” such as Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit. Nowadays, I enjoy trail running long distances in the mountains. With graduation approaching, I’m excited to have a bit more time to dedicate to training.
What have been your greatest challenges and lessons learned?
One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced has been pursuing a graduate degree and a new career while raising a toddler, working and making time to prioritize my health. It’s come with its fair share of time pressure, self-doubt, imposter syndrome and sacrifices—both on my part and my family’s. Ultimately, success in graduate school has boiled down to discipline with my time and relentless consistency. Key ideas from my coaching practice, like “consistent progress is better than perfect execution” and “discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now,” have become cornerstones for me. Graduate school pushed me to live by those values more deeply than I ever had before.
Please share your experience with competing in—and winning!—the NAIOP Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge.
The RMREC was probably the most valuable learning experience, and definitely the greatest growth opportunity I’ve had in graduate school. It allowed my team to take everything we had learned in the theoretical confines of the classroom and apply it to a real-world case. From conducting market research and feasibility studies, to building a comprehensive financial model from scratch, managing a general contractor and design team, and engaging with key stakeholders, the experience culminated in delivering a pitch to an expert panel followed by a presentation to 500 real estate professionals. This pushed us well beyond our comfort zones and challenged us to figure out the best path to our end goal with minimal guidelines or goalposts. While it was certainly demanding, it gave me clarity about my career direction and served as a strong reminder that success in real estate is fundamentally about people and relationships. Your team and those connections are the foundation of success in this industry.
How does a REBE degree fit into your life’s plans?
The REBE curriculum has been instrumental in shaping my career path and equipping me with the critical skills and tools necessary for this industry. My goal is to combine my passion for real estate and the built environment with a commitment to improving people’s quality of life. My focus is on housing development, with a particular interest in affordable housing and attainable housing projects, as well as the unique financing structures that make these developments possible. The REBE degree has provided me with a strong foundation in real estate finance, development and construction, as well as the opportunity to learn from a valuable network of industry professionals. I’m excited to keep expanding my network and to find a like-minded team where I can contribute my skillset while continuing to learn and grow.
In your free time what do you like to do?
Like many others, I moved to Colorado for the active outdoor lifestyle I had been craving while living in the Midwest. My competitive drive remains strong, so you’ll often find me in the mountains, training for my next trail race. When I’m not out there, I spend my free time chasing after my son as he rides his bike around the neighborhood or enjoying quality time with my family.