Real Estate Competitions
Solve real-world real estate challenges.
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate encourages graduate and undergraduate students to participate in local and international real estate-related competitions. It's a great way to put theory into practice, build upon your existing analytical and qualitative skills and deepen your relationships with your cohort and faculty.
USD teams have been very successful in these competitions. As a result of winning multiple first-place finishes in the international ARGUS University Challenge, our master's in real estate program has received increasing national recognition—and MSRE students continue to excel in this competition.
Graduate competitions
Master's in real estate students have the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom and partake in highly competitive real estate case competitions. The international ARGUS University Challenge is one of our favorite and most successful competitions. This challenge brings together student teams from universities around the world to simulate a comprehensive real-life development analysis of a fictitious commercial real estate project. Submissions are judged by a panel of industry and academic professionals and the winning teams receive cash prizes. In the ten years the competition has been held, the "Knauss School of Business" team has taken first place on seven occasions and second place on three occasions. We are very proud of our graduate students.
ARGUS University Challenge Results
| Year | Winner | Second place | Third place | Honorable Mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | University of Regensburg | University of Regensburg | Florida International University | University of San Diego |
| 2021 | University of Regensburg | University of San Diego | University of Wisconsin-Madison | |
| 2020 | University of Regensburg | University of Pennsylvania | University of San Diego | |
| 2019 | University of San Diego | University of Pennsylvania | Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo | |
| 2018 | Cornell University | University of San Diego | University of Chicago | |
| 2017 | University of San Diego | Cornell University | Louisiana State University | |
| 2016 | University of San Diego | MIT | Louisiana State University | |
| 2015 | University of San Diego | University of New Brunswick | Florida International University | |
| 2014 | University of San Diego | University of Pennsylvania | York University | |
| 2013 | York University | University of San Diego | Florida International University | |
| 2012 | York University | University of San Diego | New York University | |
| 2011 | University of San Diego | Emory University | University of North Carolina | |
| 2009 | University of San Diego | Arizona State University and Baruch College |
University of Colorado and University of North Carolina |
XYZ |
Undergraduate competitions
USD undergraduate real estate students are invited to take part in the annual NAIOP University Challenge. The NAIOP University Challenge brings together teams from three local universities (University of San Diego, San Diego State University and University of California at San Diego), to compete head-to-head in a highest and best use site/case study of a piece of land in San Diego County. The Challenge is judged on three criteria: a written proposal, a 30 minute Q&A session before a panel of judges from the real estate industry and an oral presentation before more than 300 NAIOP members, city officials, guests and a panel of real estate industry judges. The USD undergraduate real estate team took first place in the 2019 NAIOP University Challenge. View photos and videos of the 2019 event.
View GlobeSt.com coverage.
View Times of San Diego coverage.
View Connect California Commercial Real Estate News coverage.
View Union Tribune coverage.
View San Diego Business Journal coverage.
The USD undergraduate real estate team also took first place in the 2017 NAIOP University Challenge.