For Marcus Harris, real estate is already more than a subject in the classroom.
In 2026, he acquired and renovated his first fix-and-flip property in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia—putting his knowledge to work in a community he knows personally. Now, his growing experience, academic achievements and commitment to leadership have earned him national recognition.
HomeFree-USA is proud to celebrate Marcus as the recipient of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s David H. Stevens, CMB® Real Estate Legacy Scholarship, announced October 11 at MBA’s 2026 Annual Convention and Expo in Chicago.
For our Center for Financial Advancement® community, his achievement is a powerful example of what it looks like to pursue opportunity—and begin turning ambition into action.
Building experience, one opportunity at a time
A second-year graduate student at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Marcus is pursuing an MBA with specializations in Finance, Real Estate and Entrepreneurship.
His preparation extends well beyond his coursework. He holds a Georgia Real Estate Salesperson License and ARGUS Enterprise Certification, and his professional experience includes commercial real estate valuation across multiple property types.
Together with his first property renovation, those experiences reflect a young professional actively building the foundation for his future in real estate finance.
Marcus is also making room for others along the way. Through his mentoring work with North Carolina A&T State University’s Aggie Success Academy and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Summer Business Academy, he has helped support other students as they explore their own possibilities.
Established in memory of former MBA President and CEO David H. Stevens, the scholarship supports emerging leaders pursuing careers in real estate finance. It recognizes students from MBA’s Commercial Real Estate Finance Fellowship Program and HomeFree-USA’s Center for Financial Advancement® program.
In announcing the award, MBA highlighted Marcus’s academic excellence, leadership and commitment to a career in finance and real estate—qualities that connect his accomplishments today with the promise of what comes next.
Celebrating Marcus—and the partnerships that open doors
At HomeFree-USA, we believe financial education, career exposure and meaningful connections can help students see new possibilities for their futures. Marcus’s achievement gives our CFA community another reason to keep thinking bigger about where their talents can take them.
We are grateful to our partner, the Mortgage Bankers Association, for recognizing emerging talent and honoring David H. Stevens’s legacy through an investment in the next generation of industry leaders.
Congratulations, Marcus! We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to seeing what you build next.
