Jeffrey G. Robert
Lecturer
Jeffrey G. Robert is a lecturer of finance and real estate in the Finance Department at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He holds a PhD in Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics from the University of Georgia (2019), an MBA in Economics of Financial Markets from Bentley University (2011), and a BS in Economics and Finance from Bentley University (2010). Robert's research focuses on real estate price externalities, land use and zoning policy, housing insurance markets, and the scholarship of teaching and learning in real estate education. He is the recipient of the American Real Estate Society's 2026 Educator Award and Isenberg's 2026 Teaching with Digital Technology Award. Prior to joining UMass Amherst, he served as Collegiate Assistant and Associate Professor in the Blackwood Department of Real Estate at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business (2019–2025). He is also the owner of Robert Development LLC, a multifamily residential development company.
Education
Academic Appointments
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
- FIN 190A: Careers in Finance
- FIN 304: Financial Modeling
- FIN 305: Investments
- MGMT 649: Advanced Real Estate Investment & Analysis
- MGMT 686: Real Asset Investing
Awards, Honors, and Recognition
Teaching & Education Awards:
- American Real Estate Society, "The Educator Award" — In recognition of many significant contributions to the advancement of real estate education. Awarded to one society member annually. March 2026.
- Isenberg School of Management (ISOM), "Teaching with Digital Technology" Award — One of four college members recognized annually. May 2026.
Research Awards:
- Best Article Award, Journal of Housing Research. "The influence of TIF overlay zoning on residential real estate prices." 2025.
- American Real Estate Society, Best Paper Award: Spatial Analytics/GIS Applications. 2023.
- American Real Estate Society, Red Pen Award: Journal of Real Estate Practice C Education. 2022.
- American Real Estate Society, Best Paper Award: Senior Housing. 2021.
- American Real Estate Society, Best Paper Award: Spatial Analytics/GIS Applications. 2018.
Service & Leadership Awards:
- Faculty Exemplary Service Award, Blackwood Department of Real Estate, Virginia Tech. 2023.
Editorial Positions:
- Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education — Editorial Board Member, 2024–present.
- External Examiner, MSc Real Estate and MSc Real Estate Finance, University of Reading, United Kingdom, 2023–present.
Society Leadership:
- American Real Estate Society, Board Member, term 2026–2031.
- International Real Estate Society, Treasurer, term 2022–2027.
- Appraisal Institute Annual Undergraduate Case Study Competition Director
Media, Industry, and Public Impact
- Scott Insurance (in partnership with SAFH and VA Capital): $8,000 research grant to examine the use of crime scores in the insurance underwriting process. 2020.
- Scott Insurance: $3,500 research grant on emergency call-for-aid systems policy (HUD) and Section 202 affordable housing insurance costs. 2023.
- UMass Center for Teaching and Learning: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research award of $500 for conference travel and research presentation. January 2026.
- Robert, J. G. (2021). General liability insurance crime scores: Caution advised for the multifamily property industry. Real Estate Issues, 45(5), 1-5.
- Webber, K., Burg, T., Tanner, D., Moore, M., & Robert, J. G. (2020). Quantifying the impact of business engagement on STEM education. In Handbook of Research on STEM Education. Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
- Tanner, D., Robert, J. G., et al. (September 2018). Rank and selection of infrastructure projects: A state and local perspective. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Foundation.
- McCann, A. (2020). 2020's cities with the most overleveraged mortgage debtors. Expert contributor, WalletHub. https://wallethub.com/mortgage-calculator/
- Robert, J. G. (2016). Special commission to study the rules and regulations of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Providence, RI: House of Representatives. http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/commissions/mldcomm/commdocs/Final%20Report%20BMLD%203-31-2016.pdf
- 1st Place (Faculty Advisor), Mulroy Real Estate Competition, Villanova University, April 2026.
- 1st Place (Faculty Advisor), Mulroy Real Estate Competition, Villanova University, February 2025.
- 1st Place (Faculty Advisor), Mulroy Real Estate Competition, Villanova University, February 2024.
- 2nd Place (Faculty Advisor), Mulroy Real Estate Competition, Villanova University, February 2024.
- 1st Place (Faculty Advisor), Mulroy Real Estate Competition, Villanova University, April 2022.
- 3rd Place (Faculty Advisor; only undergraduate team to place), Colvin Case Study Competition, University of Maryland, December 2021.
Selected Publications
Robert, J. G., Rios-Avila, F., Zahirovic-Herbert, V., C Gibler, K. (RCR). Localized Price Discounts for Single-Family Homes from Amazon Distribution Centers: Evidence from Florida. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment. Working paper available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4990815
Robert, J. G. (2026). Employing Real Problems for Real Learning in Real Estate Market Analysis. In K. McGrath C E. Worzala (Eds.), Fun in the Classroom with Experiential Learning (Vol. 1). Routledge.
Robert, J. G., Zaldivar, M. R., Ajao, H., C Yang, Z. (2024). Enhancing Real Estate Data Analytics Education with Digital Badges. Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education, 26(1), 1–15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15214842.2024.2403792
Robert, J. G., C Zahirovic-Herbert, V. (2023). The influence of TIF overlay zoning on residential real estate prices. Journal of Housing Research, 1–17. [Best Article Award, Journal of Housing Research, 2025]