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Wednesday, Mar 25, 20268:00am

Future of Real Estate Competition

Virtual

In 2026, the “Office Apocalypse” enters its next chapter—The Great Repurposing. Back for its fourth year, the Future of Real Estate Competition launches on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, challenging students to tackle this moment in the market with bold ideas and fresh perspectives. Tasked with reimagining an office property as a vibrant residential living space, teams will draw on their knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity to deliver solutions that balance visionary design with real-world feasibility. Designed to bridge architectural creativity with real-world financial feasibility, teams of 3–5 multidisciplinary students will renovate a distressed asset and present their vision to a panel of esteemed industry judges. With $25,000 in prize money on the line, this year’s competition promises bold ideas, thoughtful debate, and meaningful connections with real estate leaders. Register your team below, and be sure to attend the FORE Competition Launch on March 25.

Important Dates & Things to Know:

Interest Form List will be shared on Friday, January 16th

Competition Launch: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (Competition materials will be launched virtually via the Weiser Center for Real Estate website.)

Applications Close: Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12:00 AM EST

Final Pitches: Wednesday, April 8, 2026

  • Time: TBD (Teams will participate in an initial round of judging, after which select teams will advance to the final pitch round.)
  • Location: Blau Colloquium, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

Team Requirements:

  • Teams of 3–5 University of Michigan students
  • Undergraduate and graduate students welcome
  • Your team CAN BE a mix of undergraduate students and graduate students
  • Teams may include a mix of undergraduate and graduate students, or be composed entirely of undergraduate students. However, teams may not be comprised exclusively of graduate students.
  • Each team must include at least one member representing investment, design & development

Prizes: $25,000 total prize pool — register to win your share!

 

Interested in participating but don’t yet have a team? No problem, Weiser’s here to assist! Complete the Interest Form below, and the Weiser Center for Real Estate will help connect you with fellow students to ensure you find a team and are ready to compete.

Ready to register yourself and your teammates? Complete the Registration Form below to let the Weiser Center know you’re in and officially join the competition.

 

Quick Links:

View the Case View the Rules Interest Form Registration Form

FAQs

This program is open to any undergraduate or graduate student attending the University of Michigan.

Yes – students have until Thursday, March 26th, to request support from the Weiser Center to help find teammates.  If you completed the interest form, you will also have access to a database of interested students whom you can reach out to directly.  For questions about finding teammates, email Colleen Triezenberg at cotrieze@umich.edu

Contact our Student Affairs Program Manager, Colleen Triezenberg, at cotrieze@umich.edu

  • Teams must be composed of 3-5 University of Michigan students. 
  • Each team must include at least one member representing investment, design & development
  • Undergraduate and graduate students welcome (teams must be comprised of at least one graduate and one undergraduate student)
  • Consult the Kresge Library Research guide to learn more about available resources.
  • If needed, the Tozzi Center at the Ross School of Business has access to CoStar for real estate market research.
  • You can use Yahoo Finance and/or any other industry reports that are available in the public domain.

Yes – the Weiser Center will notify all finalists via email in ample time before the final pitches.

The Weiser Center reserves the right to recognize winning teams on our website, social media, and in other correspondence as needed.  You will be contacted by a member of our team in advance.