Isenberg Real Estate Fund Students Earn First-Place Finishes in National Competitions

Isenberg's student teams demonstrate financial acumen, strategic thinking, and presentation skills at commercial real estate challenges held in Philadelphia and Nashville.

Students from the Isenberg Real Estate Fund recently placed first in two national commercial real estate competitions, marking a milestone for the student-run organization and the growing real estate community at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. The group was founded in 2019 by a cohort of undergraduate students wanting to create an organization focused on commercial real estate, particularly in the field of pro-bono consulting to private clients with commercial real estate needs.

Isenberg Finance Lecturer Jeffrey Robert, PhD, served as the advisor to the team that competed in Philadelphia.

“These back-to-back victories reflect the strength of Isenberg’s real estate program and the exceptional preparation, collaborative spirit, and professionalism of our students,” he said. “They demonstrated that they can apply their classroom knowledge to complex, real-world investment scenarios and present their recommendations with the confidence and financial acumen expected in the commercial real estate industry.”

First Place in Philadelphia

In April, an Isenberg team placed first out of 33 university teams at the Mulroy Real Estate Challenge, a prestigious national real estate development case competition annually hosted by Villanova University’s Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate in Philadelphia, Pa. The victory represents the highest finish ever by a UMass Amherst real estate team in a national competition.

The winning team included Isenberg senior finance majors Alex Breton, Ryan Kirschner, and Nicholas Julian, and senior mathematics and finance major Justin Dinowitz.

Now in its 17th year, the Mulroy Real Estate Challenge draws teams from undergraduate real estate programs across the country. Students are tasked with analyzing a real-world development case and presenting an investment proposal that demonstrates market knowledge, financial modeling skills, and strategic thinking. The Isenberg students distinguished themselves through their preparation, financial acumen, and presentation quality. 

First Place in Nashville

A second group of Isenberg Real Estate Fund students in April also placed first at the 2026 Appraisal Institute University Valuation Case Challenge, held during the institute’s annual conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Eighteen university teams from across the country were challenged to analyze a real-world development scenario and present a highest-and-best-use recommendation to a panel of experienced industry professionals. The competition required students to combine valuation, market analysis, and strategic decision-making into a clear and compelling investment narrative.

The winning Isenberg team included senior finance majors Rahul Nair and Andrew Slaney, junior natural resource economics major Julia McIntyre, and sophomore finance major Shayla Igoe.