University of Waterloo students win the top prize at the Expand Your Empire Real Estate Case Competition

Monday, February 28, 2022
by Kyson V. (4B AFM), Nathan L. (3A Civil Engineering), Samantha K. (3A Architectural Engineering), Matthew V. (3B Planning)

Using cross-disciplinary knowledge to create financially feasible and sustainable designs

This January, a team composed of four undergraduate students in Accounting and Financial Management, Engineering, and Planning competed in the eighth edition of the annual Ryerson Real Estate Expand Your Empire (EYE) Case Competition, where they won both the first place grand prize and the Most Feasible Design award for a total cash prize of $11,500.

 Samantha K., Matthew V., Kyson V., and Nathan L.

One of the largest real estate competitions in North America, the EYE Competition is a unique opportunity for students to refine their skills and share their passion for real estate with like-minded people across the globe. This year’s case study challenged delegates to propose the redevelopment of a mixed-use parcel of land in the Greater Toronto Area with a focus on sustainability within their design proposal.

Nathan L. (3A Civil Engineering), Samantha K. (3A Architectural Engineering), Matthew V. (3B Planning), and Kyson V. (4B Accounting and Financial Management) presented their winning proposal, which consisted of a high-level demographic analysis, development proposal, 3D-modelling, and financial analysis all with a focus on transit and sustainable design.

The student team used their cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills to their advantage - developing a creative, original, financially feasible, and sustainable design. They presented their development proposal to a panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals including the CEO of Cushman and Wakefield, the board of directors at CreateTO and several other major institutions in the field. After multiple rounds of competition, the UWaterloo team advanced to the ‘final four’ round of case presentations and emerged as the first-place grand prize winner.

Congratulations to Nathan, Samantha, Matthew, and Kyson!

Follow the links for more details on the complete results.