Real Estate Transactions

(2 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Real Estate Transactions provides a comprehensive, practical exploration of how institutional investors and developers identify, evaluate, acquire, finance, and dispose of commercial real estate assets. The course begins by examining the strategic reasons behind acquisition, financing, and disposition decisions and how they are influenced by capital sources, company structures, and investment mandates (Core, Core+, Value-Add, Opportunistic, and Development). Students will learn how investments are sourced—both on-market and off-market—while analyzing the motivations and behaviors of key market participants, including owners, brokers, and capital partners. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and applied assignments, students will navigate each stage of the transaction process: from investment thesis development and underwriting to due diligence, financing, and closing. Key topics include the use of 1031/1033 exchanges, valuation and comparable analysis, the art of the investment pitch, and ethical considerations in deal-making. The course culminates in a simulated Investment Committee pitch, where student teams present a selected opportunity supported by an investment memo and underwriting analysis, mirroring real-world acquisition decision-making.