Cornell ICSC Retail Real Estate Case Competition

CREF and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) teamed up to host the inaugural Retail Real Estate Case Competition on May 22 in Las Vegas. The event was part of ICSC’s RECon, the global convention for the shopping center industry with over 36,000 attendees. The invitation-only competition welcomed five undergraduate teams of four students each from the top university real estate programs. Modeled after the successful Cornell International Real Estate Case Competition, the teams were presented with a real estate case which is based on an actual business transaction. After five days of analysis and preparation, the teams presented their recommendations to a panel of industry judges. This intense competition provides an opportunity for students to practice the skills they have learned in the classroom and showcase themselves to the leaders of the industry.

The results of the competition were:

First Place – University of Guelph
Second Place – Cornell University
Third Place – University of Colorado Boulder and University of Connecticut (a tie)
Fifth Place – Ryerson University

Many thanks to our distinguished judges, many of whom are members of the ICSC Board of Trustees:

•    Elizabeth Holland, CEO and General Counsel, Abbell Associates, LLC
•    Phil McArthur, Founder and Managing Director, McArthur + Company
•    John Swagerty, Senior Vice President for Development, Acadia Realty
•    Gordon “Skip” Greeby, President, The Greeby Companies
•    Scott Nelson, Principal, SAN Prop Advisors