The NYUSPS REIT Center –the center of the REITverse
By Scott L Robinson
The REIT structure has proven to be a well-designed, tax-efficient structure for the long-term ownership of commercial real estate. It was originally created in the US in 1960, through the Real Estate Investment Trust Act embedded within the Cigar Excise Tax Extension. The first REIT was established in 1961, and there have been countless REITs formed and numerous evolutions to the structure since that date. Today, REITs own approximately $4T of gross assets, $2.5T of which are owned by public REITs. REITs serve as an excellent investment vehicle and provide unrivaled industry insight.
NYU established the REIT Center in 1998 with the mission of fostering thought leadership to address the trends transforming the REIT/REOC sector, nationally and globally. The REIT vehicle is obviously a dynamic structure and the NYU REIT Center is proud to help shape it over time.
The Center executes on its mission in multiple ways, including:
Hosting of an annual REIT conference in NYC;
Sponsoring a student-managed REIT Securities investment fund;
Hosting the REIT Leadership podcast; and
Supporting student-created research.
The REIT Center works with its well-established relationships among REIT executives, investors, and academics to expand our understanding of the evolving world in which REITs invest. I am excited to expand our research and engagement efforts, building on our strong industry reputation and these relationships. I’ve summarized these efforts below and encourage students to reach out to me to participate.
REIT Conference
Our annual REIT Conference attracts the REIT industry’s top CEOs, investors and analysts for a high-level exchange of ideas. The Conference provides students an opportunity to get to know industry leaders and learn from their peer-to-peer panel discussions. This year’s conference was well-timed to be the centerpiece of discuss of numerous macro event impacting us today, notably: tariffs, interest rates, AI & Digitization and Growth & Consolidation. We will host the 2026 conference on Wednesday March 25.
REIT Fund
NYU Schack REIT Center’s REIT Investment Fund is a unique and very compelling extra-curricular activity that gives students a hands-on, real-world experience in real estate securities investment analysis and management. The REIT Investment Fund is run entirely by students, with advice from faculty and a distinguished advisory board.
The Fund provides students hands-on, real-world experience in real estate securities investment management, and an opportunity to apply and integrate their classwork and experience in the pursuit of investment management decisions and results. Key skills that students learn through their participation in this initiative including: industry and sector analysis; accounting and financial analysis; security analysis and portfolio management; and presentation skills to a range of peers and key stakeholders. Students also learn some of the traits endemic of high-performing organizations such as accountability, communication, trust and curiosity.
Serving as faculty advisor to this rolling-cohort of students is incredibly rewarding and I look forward to supporting new students each semester. Please reach out to me or any of the current or past Fund students to learn more about our activities or to “talk shop” about REITs!
Podcast
We launched the REIT Leadership Series in 2020 and continued it in Spring 2022 and Fall 2022. Robin Panovka and I chatted with REIT sector leaders in frank and broad reaching discussions about macro events, capital markets, notable transactions and of course, career advice for our students. These playlists can be found on the NYU Schack Youtube page.
I am excited to build on this successful effort by launching an expanded series in conjunction with Nareit. We will host many more discussions starting next month and incorporate REIT Fund students in the conversation and related social media engagement.
Research
One of the hallmarks of the REIT Center is its support of student-generated research. Over the years I have supported nearly two dozen students in their deep exploration of topics such as Digital Infrastructure, Affordable Housing and Modular Construction, Israeli Bond Market, Korean REITs and Urban Transformation and the Analysis of the Acquisition of DuPont Fabros by Digital Realty Trust. Students gain a lot through this work, including having a valuable product to share with would-be employers in their job search process.
Fundraising
All these efforts require time, energy and of course money. As an ex-investment banker, I love the capital raising process and am excited to build-out a recurring effort to attract donations and sponsors for these valuable efforts. I will need support in this effort and welcome students who want to participate in all aspects of the capital raising process, from crafting the message, building material, mapping a GTM strategy and pitching.
The REIT Center is one of the many extracurricular opportunities that makes the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate the leading real estate academic program. The activities we’re pursuing are exciting and rewarding. I welcome your support and look forward to working with you!
Read more about the author: Scott L Robinson
Email: scott.robinson@nyu.edu