Case Competitions
BREC runs the selection process for Real Estate Case Competitions. BREC members have competed in the following real estate competitions and are perennial contenders for the top honors.
NAIOP Annual “Golden Shovel” Real Estate Challenge
Sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the NAIOP Real Estate Development Challenge is a competition between graduate students at UC Berkeley and Stanford. Teams of five students are given an actual site, and must propose the best use, design, financing and marketing of a commercial real estate project on that site. Proposals are judged by a nine-member jury of real estate professionals in the areas of development, finance, property management, brokerage and local government. Final proposals are presented at an annual luncheon in April, with hundreds of NAIOP members in attendance. The winning team gets to keep the prized Golden Shovel (a close cousin of the Big Game Axe!) for one year.
The Golden Shovel has taken place since 1990. Of these 30 years, UC Berkeley has placed first 18 times, most recently in 2018 and 2019, and 2020.
Bank of America Low-Income Housing Challenge
Sponsored by Bank of America, the BofA Low-Income Housing Challenge is a competition among several West Coast graduate schools where teams must create a low income housing proposal. Each team must identify a viable site and then develop a proposal that includes design, finance, market and community support elements while working with developer and community partners. The project proposals are judged by a panel of local professionals.
The Challenge has taken place since 1992. Of these 28 years, UC Berkeley has placed first 17 times, most recently in 2018 and 2019.
UT Austin National Real Estate Challenge
The National Real Estate Challenge is a case-based real estate competition hosted by the University of Texas at Austin between top 20 graduate schools. The event takes place in Austin during the Fall and is meant to give graduate students a taste of the challenges that face real estate professionals after graduation. The competition is judged by real estate professionals from Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase.
The Challenge has taken place since 2002. Of these 28 years, UC Berkeley has placed first twice, most recently in 2019.
Kellogg Real Estate Venture Competition
The Venture Competition showcases graduate students, who have the opportunity to pitch to a high-profile panel of judges. The winning team not only receives $100,000 in cash and prizes, but also the opportunity to secure as much as $10,000,000 in equity funding. The primary purpose of the competition is to encourage entrepreneurial real estate ventures. The event also serves as an opportunity to promote top student talent before prominent industry professionals.
UC Berkeley placed first in 2019.
HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing
The Innovation in Affordable Housing competition has been designed to replicate a real-life approach. 40+ multi-disciplinary teams comprised of graduate students in architecture, planning and policy, finance and other areas will be asked to address social, economic, and environmental issues in responding to a specific housing problem developed by an actual public housing agency (PHA).
UC Berkeley placed second in 2019.