Real Estate Investing

Requirements: This program is suitable for professionals on the periphery of the real estate business or those who do not have a background in real estate but need to acquire or enhance their understanding of the sector. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and basic financial concepts such as net present value, internal rate of return, or discounted cash flow is expected.

Real Estate Investing

Real estate has become an avenue to wealth building and a source of portfolio diversification for a wide range of investment entities, from institutional investors to fund managers and entrepreneurs alike.

The last few decades have seen rising capital allocations to real estate as bond yields have compressed. The pandemic had a profound impact on the real estate industry across the globe, especially in commercial real estate, as it accelerated the trend towards remote and flexible working arrangements and reduced foot traffic in retail spaces. The ongoing disruption in the financial markets and the global economy is reshaping the landscape of real estate deal-making. Today’s real estate investing environment is filled with challenges, including fair valuation of real estate assets, decision-making under uncertainty, regulatory changes, and long-run implications of remote work. Yet, the current complexities in the market also present tremendous opportunity. Hotels and retail properties in particular are ripe targets for distressed-asset investors.

The Real Estate Investing program provides participants with a deep understanding of real estate valuation and investments — sharpening their acumen of real estate principles, teaching them how to mitigate risk in real estate investing, and strengthening their strategic decision-making capabilities in the field. While touching on residential housing, the six-session program primarily focuses on the acquisition and management of income-producing commercial properties.

Please contact our Learning Solutions Specialists at +1 212-854-3395 for a personal conversation to learn more.

“Real estate accounts for one-third of the world’s capital assets. In this program, you'll gain critical knowledge and become conversant about the principles of real estate investing while taking a global perspective.”

Tomasz Piskorski

Faculty Co-Director

Hear from the program's four faculty directors as they introduce the program.

This program is designed to provide a deep dive into the changing fundamentals and emerging opportunities in real estate. Participants build on their existing business knowledge and learn how to apply it to the real estate investment market. Specifically, participants will:

Solidify their understanding of key real estate investment fundamentals and metrics
Using real-world case studies, examine determinants of successful real estate investing
Learn how to analyze the distressed real estate investment opportunities
Consider the perspectives of investors and investment management firms
Understand factors that are disrupting the business and explore strategies to improve buying, renting, selling, and managing real estate assets

Upon completion of this program, you will earn three credits towards a Certificate with select alumni and tuition benefits. Learn more.

Throughout the program, industry guest speakers will complement the classroom and experiential learning sessions.

Schedule

Three consecutive full days of in-person sessions on the Manhattanville campus in NYC. Includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials.

To view an agenda for this program, please connect with a Learning Solutions specialist. Contact us.

Dates, fees, and locations are subject to change.

The Commercial Real Estate Asset Class, Iconic Assets, and the Investor Ecosystem

Part 1 discusses the importance of real estate as an asset class and its historical return performance. Real estate forms part of the alternative investment asset class and institutional investors target a substantial part of their alternatives portfolio in real estate.

This session also introduces participants to the various types of real estate assets by discussing an iconic asset in each sector. The discussion uncovers a diverse investor ecosystem.

“The program was tremendous. I finished it with a great understanding of the fundamentals of real estate and the various ways in which investors work in the asset class. Anyone who works in related fields will benefit and increase their knowledge of real estate investing. The professors are tremendous, and each of them brought their expertise and energy to make each session valuable. This was definitely an experience that I was glad to participate in virtually, as I would have had a hard time doing so in person given that I live in Los Angeles.”

Scott Sandler

Senior Vice President of Capital Group

“This program was incredibly valuable and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to enter the commercial real estate field or looking to broaden their understanding of valuation across multiple sectors. The professors were engaging and provided varied perspectives while analyzing trends and touching on real-time information, including the present-day impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciated the virtual format of the course, which allowed me to fully participate while balancing my full-time workload.”

Katie Jacoby

Executive Vice President Strategy and Development at Anchor Health Properties

“For anyone interested in learning about the commercial real estate market, this program provided high-quality content and instructor experience. The program is extremely well done. The knowledge and experience of the professors are very impressive. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to take a course from Professor Mayer, who has the honor of being the Milstein Professor. That level of instruction is beyond expectations for an executive education program. Also, the deep experience of David Sherman in the real estate marketplace was extremely valuable in conveying the meaning of these analyses and considerations in real-world transactions. The instructors are adept at engaging the students and both courses I have taken included lively discussions in the classroom. I would be remiss if I didn't comment on how helpful and welcoming the administrative staff was — really a terrific job. I highly recommend this program!”

Janet Elms

Proprietor at JLC Consulting Services

“As a Columbia Business School Executive Education participant, I was impressed with the choreography of the program structure and very pleased with all the presentations delivered by an incredibly knowledgeable and seasoned faculty of professionals.”

Joseph Federico

Vice President at NJ Micro Electronic Testing Inc

The program is designed for business professionals on the periphery of the real estate business, including investors who touch but don't specialize in real estate, mortgage lenders, private wealth advisors, chief investment or chief financial officers who do not have a background in real estate but need to acquire or enhance their understanding of the sector. The program would also be appropriate for real estate professionals who need a refresher of the key concepts and an update on new developments, for example, in the area of proptech.

Most recent program participants included, among others, private wealth individuals interested in investing in real estate, private wealth advisors, and senior executives from global venture capital and private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, consulting companies, investment banks, and real estate development, management, and advisory firms.

Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and basic financial concepts such as net present value, internal rate of return, or discounted cash flow is expected.

Christopher J. Mayer

Christopher J. Mayer

Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate; Professor of Finance

Faculty Co-Director

Tomasz Piskorski

Tomasz Piskorski

Edward S. Gordon Professor of Real Estate, Columbia Business School

Faculty Co-Director

David M. Sherman

David M. Sherman

Senior Advisor and Co-Founder, Metropolitan Real Estate
Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, Columbia Business School

Faculty Co-Director

Stijn G. Van Nieuwerburgh

Stijn G. Van Nieuwerburgh

Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate and Professor of Finance Faculty Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, Columbia Business School

Faculty Co-Director

I’m interested in the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE), how do I get started?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, you’ll be able to customize a unique learning experience by selecting programs that best interest you and are most suited for your needs. Any completed program, regardless of format (live online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence.

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Credits are only valid for four years (Please note: While we are not able to offer in-person programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration to complete the programming has been extended to five years.). If you have not completed your CIBE within four years, we will only count non-expired credits towards your CIBE credit total.

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Your Certificate in Business Excellence does not expire. Once you become a certificate recipient, you will join the greater alumni community at Columbia Business School.

I’ve reached 18 CIBE credits, what’s next?
Congratulations! You should receive a digital copy of your certificate at the end of your program. If you do not receive a copy from your program manager, kindly contact your Learning Solutions representative or your program manager for next steps.

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As a Columbia Business School alumni am I eligible for tuition benefit?

When you earn a Certificate in Business Excellence you will receive a 25 percent tuition benefit for full-price Executive Education in-person programs lasting three and four days and all full-price online programs. Exclusions apply**

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Developing Black Leaders in Financial Services
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Executive Program in Management
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For select programs, there will be some assignments to complete after the end of select program sessions. Assignments will typically consist of readings, self-reflections, and brief assessments. This approach is designed to help you practice your learnings.

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We do not expect that homework assignments will take up a large amount of time to complete.

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