Showcase and Compete:
Real-World Real Estate Challenges for Students

Challenges & Competitions:

ULI Hines Student Competition (Graduate students only)  

Registration in November   

Duration: Up to 3 months   

 

The ULI Hines Student Competition allows graduate students to form multidisciplinary teams and engage in a challenging exercise in responsible land use. Teams of five have two weeks to devise a development program for a real, large-scale site in a North American city. They provide graphic boards and narratives of their proposals, including designs and market-feasible financial data.  

Bank of America Low Income Housing Challenge   

Registration in January   

Duration: 3 months   

  

With the Bank of America Low Income Housing Challenge, students form teams and enlist an academic advisor and developer sponsor. Teams work together to create a forward-looking, feasible project that addresses all aspects of an affordable-housing development, including community needs, building design, and financing. Students participate in education and feedback sessions and present their final projects to a jury. 

NAIOP Silicon Valley Case Study Competition(Undergrad students only)   

Registration in January   

Duration: 3 weeks   

  

The NAIOP Silicon Valley University Case Study Challenge is an intercollegiate competition between full-time undergraduate student teams from Menlo College, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. University teams evaluate the site of a previously completed development project to devise a current ground-up development plan based in the current market environment.  

NAIOP Golden Shovel Real Estate Competition (Graduate students only)   

Registration in January, Kickoff early February   

Duration: 10 weeks   

 

The Golden Shovel is a real estate development competition between Stanford University and UC Berkeley. The program gives graduate students hands-on experience in real estate development. Teams devise and pitch a solution to a complex real-world real estate scenario. 

Hack-A-House Competition

Registration in September

Duration: 1 week

 

Hack-A-House is an annual 24-hour “hackathon” created to inspire students to develop innovative solutions for the housing affordability crisis. Participants collaborate with peers, industry experts, and competition judges to explore and address housing challenges.

Eisenberg Real Estate Case Challenge

Registration in November

Duration: 10 weeks

 

In the Eisenberg Real Estate Case Challenge, students must create a development plan that constitutes a comprehensive analysis and conclusion of how to maximize the potential of the property from both a quantitative (financial) and qualitative (feasibility) standpoint. The winning team(s) receive a $7,500 scholarship.