Real Estate

For the third consecutive year, Columbia Business School placed in the top three at the invitation-only UNC Real Estate Development Challenge. Ashley McDonald ’15, Matthew Nunn ’14, Atif Z. Qadir ’14, and Daniel Wagman ’15 of team “Sustained Growth Properties” finished third at the competition on February 20-21 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

On February 6-8, thirteen MBA real estate students traveled to South Beach to gain a sense of the shifting market landscape and how Miami-based companies are taking advantage of local, national, and international opportunities.

For the second year in a row, a Columbia Business School student was awarded the YM/WREA David Winoker Scholarship. Karl Chan ’15, an officer within the school’s Real Estate Association, was named the 2013-14 scholarship recipient, which recognizes personal and professional success and charitable or community service involvement.

Adjunct Professor Alicia Glen, who started the Social Impact Real Estate Investing and Development class, was tapped by incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio to be deputy mayor for housing and economic development.

The sixth annual Real Estate Symposium took place on December 9, 2013, at the Columbia University Club of New York, with 200 alumni representing classes from 1959 to 2013 in attendance. Sam Zell, chairman, Equity Group Investments, delivered the keynote address.

The panel "What Are Real Estate Investors Looking For?" framed investor needs against discussions of market and economic trends.

At the panel “Uncharted Waters— Navigating Today’s Debt Markets,” experts from several major firms discussed debt investment products and opportunities.

The panel “Is the Sky the Limit? NYC Real Estate Pricing Keeps Climbing” discussed recent trends in the local real estate market and whether continued appreciation is likely.

At the panel "CEO’s Corner: Long-Term Perspectives," industry leaders discussed the branding implications of the term "REIT," their challenges in the industry, and the emergence of e-commerce as a competitor.

Professor Lynne B. Sagalyn and Michael Berman '86 opened the sixth annual Columbia Business School Real Estate Symposium. Berman introduced Sam Zell as a pioneer in the REIT industry. The opening remarks were followed by a lively fireside chat between Zell and Sagalyn.