With a donation from Mark (CEO of Equity Residential REIT/NYSC EQR) and Allison Parrell, Michigan has established one of only a few real estate funds in the country focused on private and public real estate investment trusts. Students will have real life opportunities to invest actual dollars in REITs based on research that they do and ultimately put together investment memorandums that they submit for recommendations on which companies to invest in. Trades will be made with the goal of “besting” various REIT indexes. However, the class is more than just a stock trading class. Industry experts visit with students about careers in the public real estate space and underlying real estate principals will be reviewed. An advisory board comprised of Michigan alumni in both the securities and real estate industries help guide the students in their investment decisions and career exploration in this industry. Admission is by application.
