Norway and Alaska are closer than you think. At least they are for Magnus Norøy. And even if the mileage from Oslo to Anchorage is daunting (just a tad over 4,000 miles), the appeal Anchorage held for the Norway native brought “The Last Frontier” state a lot closer to his heart.
Because, you see, Norøy is a college skier as well as a student of property management at the University of Alaska. The 23-year-old is currently a junior, enrolled in the university’s Weidner Property Management and Real Estate program. He’s carrying a double major in finance because, “I saw how it would benefit my skills in property management,” he says.
But it was the school’s athletic program that originally alerted him to opportunities there when they reached out to him, and he soon joined the university’s NCAA ski team. “I could have gone to schools with property management programs in the lower 48,” he explains. “But Alaska is a better fit for a skier, and it turned out to be a good fit on the academic side as well.”
The University of Alaska brought more than academics and athletics to enrich Norøy’s growth. Real estate program director Terry Fields not only encouraged the pursuit of a career in property management, but he also introduced him to IREM, which Norøy joined in 2020. It was through Fields and a travel award from the academic program that he, and two other students in the program, were able to attend the Las Vegas Global Summit last year.
“Initially I was intimidated about speaking to all of these professionals,” Norøy admits, but (no surprise here) ultimately found members open and willing to discuss the pros and cons of both multifamily and commercial management. The summit also introduced him to a young professional who would become his mentor. That person is Brett Voeltz, who received his CPM this past February and was featured a few months back in this very series.
One more advancement came out of the Vegas get-together: It solidified property management as a career choice in Norøy’s mind. “After the conference, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” he says. And it was a great place to start, especially because of those initially intimidating contacts. “I began to build my network there,” a network that he intends to keep with him throughout his career, no matter where in the world he lands. (“Eventually I would like to go back to Norway,” but, he adds, only after a long stay as a property manager in the States.)
He also intends to maintain his IREM membership and grow within the organization. In fact, he is currently applying for a spot in IREM’s new Student Leaders program.
Where Norøy’s post-grad path leads is still a question. He sees both residential and commercial as viable tracks to follow, and he’s currently planning a summer internship at an Alaska residential firm, a chance to test those waters.
“After graduation,” he says, “I want to find a full-time position in the US somewhere. I’m still young and live a flexible life, so I’m open to moving to other parts of the US.”
Ultimately, he sees himself in a leadership position, preferably in an international firm to maintain his access to his growing network and for the flexibility to pursue opportunities in Norway.
There’s one more goal that Norøy sees as an eventuality. As of yet, there is no IREM chapter in Norway. “That might be in my future,” he concludes.