WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 6, 2015) - More than 90 students from 15 universities across the United States have begun competing in the Real Confidence University Portfolio Challenge™, a year-long competition for university students to gain a first-of-its-kind, hands-on learning experience in public and private commercial real estate investing. The students will participate in an investment simulation competition to manage a $1 billion real estate portfolio, indexed to well-known real estate benchmarks.
The Real Confidence University Portfolio Challenge™ is made possible by Altus Group Limited (Altus Group) (TSX:AIF), in collaboration with the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT®) and the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF®).
Each university's team will allocate a theoretical $1 billion in capital among a variety of commercial real estate investment opportunities found within the public equity, private equity, public debt and private debt sectors. Each weighted investment selection's performance will be calculated with their respective benchmark return data provided by NAREIT®, NCREIF ®, Markit® and Giliberto-Levy Commercial Mortgage Performance Index(SM).
"This is an educational tool providing index data to students, allowing them to take part in a realistic, in-market experience of real estate investing," says Robert K. Ruggles III, president of Altus Group's Research, Valuation and Advisory division. "We know students are the future of our industry, and it is important to empower them to understand how to holistically construct a portfolio containing various real estate investment options."
The competition will conclude in July 2016 after one full year. The team with the best-performing portfolio will be awarded a $50,000 university scholarship and will be named the Real Confidence University Portfolio Challenge™ winner.
"We are pleased to be partners in pioneering this new program and offering a university scholarship prize," says Steven A. Wechsler, president and CEO of NAREIT®. "We believe it will help encourage the study of real estate and its role in investment portfolios, and we look forward to feedback from the students who participate in this first competition of its kind."
Students and industry can follow the portfolio performance at RealConfidence.com/UniversityPortfolioChallenge. The interactive website will serve as an educational portal showcasing a leaderboard, blog posts and industry expert commentary.
Student teams from the following universities will be participating in the Real Confidence University Portfolio Challenge™:
- College of Charleston
- Florida International University
- Georgetown University
- Georgia State University
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Lehigh University
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas Christian University
- University of Chicago
- University of Denver
- University of San Diego
- University of Wisconsin
"We are eager to watch how the students will complete their selections across the quadrants of real estate investing, and in return, how those selections will perform against one another," says Peter Steil, CEO, NCREIF®.
About Altus Group Limited
Altus Group Limited is a leading provider of independent advisory services, software and data solutions to the global commercial real estate industry. All of our five core practices - Research, Valuation and Advisory, ARGUS Software, Property Tax Consulting, Cost Consulting and Project Management, and Geomatics - embody and reflect decades of experience, a broad range of expertise, and leading edge technology. Our offerings empower clients to analyze, gain insight and recognize value on their real estate investments. Headquartered in Canada, we have approximately 2,300 employees around the world, with operations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Our clients include some of the world's largest real estate industry participants, spread across a broad variety of sectors.
Altus is focused on creating sustainable shareholder value that generates long-term returns by targeting organic and accretive growth while providing quarterly dividend payments of $0.15 per share. Our securities are traded on the TSX under the symbols AIF and AIF.DB.A.
For more information on Altus Group, please visit: www.altusgroup.com.
About the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts® (NAREIT)
NAREIT® is the worldwide representative voice for REITs and listed real estate companies with an interest in U.S. real estate and capital markets. Members are REITs and other businesses that own, operate and manage income-producing real estate, as well as those firms and individuals who advise, study and service those businesses. NAREIT® is the exclusive registered trademark of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc.®
About the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries® (NCREIF)
NCREIF® is an association of institutional real estate professionals who share a common interest in their industry. They are investment managers, plan sponsors, academicians, consultants, appraisers, CPA's and other service providers who have a significant involvement in institutional property investments. They come together to address vital industry issues and to promote research and education. NCREIF® produces several quarterly indices that show real estate performance returns using data submitted to it by its members. Its database consists of approximately 10,000 real estate properties comprising almost $400 billion of value. Its indices are used extensively for performance measurement and benchmarking.
Contact Information:
202.973.2940
tina.beaty@porternovelli.com