Industry Veteran Martin Skolnik Named Director of UBalt's Real Estate and Economic Development Program
September 13, 2023
Contact: Office of Advancement and External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Martin "Marty" A. Skolnik, MBA '86, has been named director of the Real Estate and Economic Development (REED) program in The University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business. In this role, Skolnik will lead the institution's efforts in the professional development of tomorrow’s leaders in real estate for the greater Baltimore region.
Skolnik, who brings decades of experience in property valuation and development to the job, says the Merrick School's program is "like no other in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.," in that it combines the practical application of real estate knowledge with an academic focus, along with the advantage of offering evening classes that cater to working professionals.
"Having spent my 40-year career in the real estate industry, I think that UBalt's Real Estate and Economic Development program is successful because of that blend," Skolnik says. "The real estate industry in the Baltimore and Washington region is extremely dynamic, and, along with the support of our strong Advisory Board, this program offers our students educational opportunities and real-world case studies—a wide variety of sophisticated real estate development projects from which students can glean the industry's best practices. I am excited to be back at my alma mater, and to share my experiences in working with the region's real estate community."
UBalt's REED specialization provides students with all of the industry's fundamentals, including transactions, building, property management, lending, and so on, as well as the larger contexts that make real estate and development a vital economic engine. Various courses cover land use, housing policy, neighborhood sustainability, legal oversight, and more.
Before arriving at the University, Skolnik served as the chief appraiser for Freddie Mac Multifamily, holding that position from 2009 to 2022. In that role, he provided advice, guidance and analyses of valuation practices and property valuation for asset management, loan origination/purchase, and loan workouts. Prior to Freddie Mac, Skolnik focused on real estate valuation, with positions in a number of fee appraisal, corporate, and government organizations, including, most recently, as director of Real Property Tax Administration for the District of Columbia. Before that, he ran his own regional commercial/industrial appraisal firm in Baltimore, Skolnik Real Estate Consulting Services.
Skolnik earned the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute in 1991, and, in 1990, the SPRA appraisal designation from the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He provides appraisal and valuation consulting services to small- and medium-sized appraisal firms and commercial lenders throughout the country, and is currently an Appraiser Member of the District of Columbia Board of Real Estate Appraisers, the state regulatory body for appraisal professionals in Washington, D.C.
Skolnik has served as a contributing author to Real Estate Issues, published by the Counselors of Real Estate, The Appraisal Journal, published by the Appraisal Institute, and The Assessment Journal, published by the International Association of Assessing Officers. He also has contributed to several mid-Atlantic business publications and has taught real estate appraisal and valuation methodology classes for Johns Hopkins University and Anne Arundel Community College.
In addition to his UBalt MBA, Skolnik holds a B.S. in urban geography from UMBC.
Learn more about the Real Estate and Economic Development program in UBalt's Merrick School of Business.