URECC | Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition

URECC
2024

University of Guelph
UNDERGRADUATE rEAL eSTATE cASE cOMPETITION

About URECC

The University of Guelph’s Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC) is a student led organization that began in 2015.

The competition is designed to challenge undergraduate students to collaborate with their team and prepare a full-scale development proposal on a site selected in Toronto/GTA.

The Case

Delegates are challenged to create an analysis that considers all aspects of development feasibility including market analysis, sustainability, physical constraints, financial viability and government regulation. Students will then proceed with a recommendation to the judges based on their analysis.

The Real

CHALLENGE

URECC provides students with a pragmatic learning opportunity not offered in the classroom. The case requirements challenge students to think beyond a theoretical perspective by providing an informed recommendation based on the research conducted and analysis completed. The case is released in February and students are given exactly one (1) month to complete their development and pitch amongst the turmoil of day-to-day academics in their semester.

Timeline

Delegate Information Packages Sent

October 2023

November
2023

Registration Begins

Registration Closes

December 2023

Presentations, Case Competition Event & Conference

February 2024

March 24th
2024

Case Released

Sponsors Announced

Timeline

Delegates

URECC attracts students from across Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia representing their respective Business Schools or Real Estate Clubs. Our previous participants have included students from:

Concordia University (John Molson School of Business)
Cornell University (SC Johnson College of Business)
Dalhousie University (Rowe School of Business)
Ohio State University (Fisher College of Business)
Queen’s University (Smith School of Business)
Ryerson University (Ted Rogers School of Management)
University of British Columbia (Sauder School of Business)
University of Calgary (Haskayne School of Business)
University of Connecticut (UCONN School of Business)
University of Guelph (Gordon S. Lang School of Business & Economics)
University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School)
University of Texas-Austin (McCombs School of Business)
University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management)
University of Vermont (Grossman School of Business)
University of Waterloo (Conrad School of Entrepreneurship & Business)
University of Western Ontario (Ivey School of Business)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin School of Business)
Wilfrid Laurier University (Lazaridis Business & Economics)
York University (Schulich School of Business)

Industry

2021 Keynote Speaker

Michael Emory

President & CEO
Allied Properties REIT

Michael is Allied's founder, President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to entering the real estate business in 1988, he was a partner at the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP, specializing in corporate and real estate finance. He is also a Director of Equitable Group Inc. and Equitable Bank.

2023 Final Judging Panel

Marco Macagnano

President, Canadian Multi-Family
Starlight Investments

David Chalmers joined Starlight in September 2011 and is President, Canadian Multi-Family. David leads a team of over 70 individuals in Starlight’s asset management, investments, capital expenditures and development groups. He has over 20 years of experience managing real estate investments for private, public and pension fund stakeholders in all asset classes including residential and commercial. His expertise includes both purchase and disposition activities, completing over $10 billion in transactions including large portfolios and individual assets.

Cecilia Williams

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Allied Properties REIT

Cecilia is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Allied. She began her career at Arthur Andersen, where she obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2001 while working in the assurance and valuation practices. Cecilia continued her career development through progressively more senior financial and planning positions at Magna International, Canwest Broadcasting/Shaw Media and Dream Unlimited. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto.

Dermot Sweeny

President and Principal
Sweeny&Co

Dermot is a professional Architect and President of Sweeny&Co Architects Inc. An innovative thinker, Dermot brings together building design, urban design, urban economics, real estate development, architectural heritage and adaptive re-use to maximize the value of each of the firm’s project.

He has brought global and national organizations such as Microsoft, Loblaw, TELUS, RBC Financial Group, RBC Dexia, and BMW to the forefront of sustainability. His commissions range from hospitality and retail interiors to commercial office towers, head offices, mixed-use and residential developments, academic institutions and urban entertainment projects.

Ciro

DeCiantis

Investment Properties Sector Leader

Deloitte

Ciro is the National Investment Properties Sector Leader and a partner in the Deloitte Audit practice. With over 25 years of experience, Ciro has led the audits of high profile public and private real estate companies and provided due diligence and advisory services to major institutional investors and other real estate companies in both Canada and the United States.

Don Kottick

President & CEO
Sotheby's International Realty Canada

Don Kottick is the President & CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. Don is a senior real estate executive with a proven track record of operational and brokerage management success.

Prior to Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Don was the Executive Vice President, Corporate Development for Peerage Realty Partners (Peerage). Peerage is one of North America’s leading luxury real estate networks.

Don is a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (FRI) and Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS). He continues to be a Director for the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and is currently the Past-President/National Director of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC). Prior to this, Don served four years as Director at Large on the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).