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Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Abe Issa [Click to enlarge]

A recent university graduate will return to campus tonight to tell students of the Neeley School of Business his secrets to financial success at an early age.

Abe Issa, president and CEO of Abe Issa Real Estate, will speak at 5 p.m. as part of Neeley Week, which is a week-long event that includes speakers and fundraisers.

Issa said he hopes to motivate Neeley students.

"I'll talk about what it took for me to get where and what kind of work I had to do in real estate," Issa said. "I had to be the best at what I was doing."

He said he will talk about his real estate company, its short and long-term goals as a company and its innovative sell system.

"I have a unique sell system that no one else in Fort Worth has," Issa said. "It allows me to make more money per deal."

Joe Lipscomb, a finance professor and director of the Luther King Capital Management Center for Financial Studies, said students can benefit from learning about Issa's drive and skills.

"He's learned a good work ethic and salesmanship, and those are things that served him very well," he said.

By the time Issa graduated in May 2005, he was already working full time for AC Properties, he said.

"During the summer after my junior year, Dr. Lipscomb set me up on a lunch date with a real estate investor," Issa said. "(The investor) really liked my personality and skills and saw a lot of potential."

He worked 50-60 hour weeks on top of taking 15 and 18 hours during his last two semesters, but, he said, it paid off when he sold 72 houses that year and made more than $250,000.

Rewards for his hard work soon followed.

"They promoted me to vice president of the company at 23 years old," Issa said. "I set my own operation up and my own office. I got to hand pick my own staff and managers and branched the company out."

During his last year working with AC Properties, Issa started his own company, which buys and sells government and bank-foreclosed properties for profit, he said.

"This year, my company will have $3.5 million in revenue," Issa said.

Issa also works with other companies that are involved with investment properties, rental properties and oil and gas minerals, he said.

Remaining Neeley Week events

Tuesday

Abe Issa, president of Abe Issa Real Estate and alumnus
5 p.m., Smith 104B

Wednesday

"Corporate Stewardship and Philanthropy's New Best Practices"
Jeff Morris, CEO of Alon USA
5:30-6:30 p.m., Smith 204

and

"Objective Based Asset Management of TCU's Endowment Fund"
Jim Hille, university chief investment officer
5:30-6:30 p.m., Smith 104B

Thursday

Pumpkins for Pizza
1-3 p.m., Smith Lawn

and

KPMG
5:30-7 p.m., Smith 104B

and

"Navigating the IT Job Market"
Stephanie Cook, Robert Half International
5:30-7 p.m., Smith 204

Friday

KIVA Fundraiser
2-3 p.m., Smith 104

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