National Challenge
Win the Challenge, Take the Cash
Teams of graduate students from the top-ranked business schools are invited to Austin to participate in a case-based real estate competition with cash awards for the top four teams.
Nationally Recognized Sponsors and Judges
The invitation-only case competition involves analyzing a recent real estate transaction consummated by a leading global real estate firm. The contestants represent the most talented graduate real estate students that compete for the highest honors and cash awards. Judge panels consist of senior executives from leading real estate companies from across the US.
Challenge Benefits
  • $25,000 in cash awards for top four finalist teams
  • Nationally recognized corporate sponsors and judges
  • Network with potential employers
  • Challenge resume book
  • Excellent resume builder
  • National recognition

Past Challenge Winners

2023

1st Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2nd Place: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

3rd Place: University of Virginia

4th Place: Cornell University

Honorable Mentions: Notre Dame, Kellogg School of Management, MIT, University of Chicago

2022

1st Place: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

2nd Place: University of California, Berkeley

3rd Place: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

4th Place: Georgetown University

Honorable Mentions: Columbia University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California

2021

1st Place: University of California, Berkeley

2nd Place: University of Wisconsin

3rd Place: Georgetown University

4th Place: University of Michigan

2020

1st Place: Northwestern University

2nd Place: University of North Carolina

3rd Place: Georgetown University

4th Place: University of California, Berkeley

2019

1st Place: University of California, Berkeley

2nd Place: Booth School of Business, University of Chicago

3rd Place: Georgetown University

4th Place: University of Pennsylvania, Wharton

2018

1st Place: University of California, Berkeley

2nd Place: UCLA, Anderson

3rd Place: University of Southern California (USC)

4th Place: University of Michigan

2017

1st Place: Columbia University

2nd Place: Northwestern University

3rd Place: UCLA, Anderson

4th Place: University of Chicago

2016

1st Place: University of Texas at Austin

2nd Place: Northwestern University

3rd Place: Columbia University

4th Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Past NREC Sponsors
Celebrating 20 years of National Real Estate Challenges hosted right here in Austin, Texas. Prestigious universities from the US and Canada are invited to participate in our annual graduate student real estate challenge. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors the winning teams receive cash prizes.

Thank You Sponsors