Image Courtesy of Georgetown University, Lisa Helfert
On October 24, 2025, the MIT Center for Real Estate (MIT/CRE) joined the Steers Center for Global Real Assets at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business to co-host the Real Assets Conference and Back to School event in Washington, D.C. The event convened students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders from both institutions for a full day of discussion on the forces shaping the built environment—from artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to office-to-residential conversions and the evolving role of global capital.
“These ‘Back to School’ events are excellent ways by which our Alumni and current students can network,” said Walter Torous, Director of the Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) program and Senior Lecturer at MIT/CRE. “They are opportunities to broaden their professional exposure to different ideas and trends in today’s commercial real estate industry.”
From the Office to the Cloud: Exploring Innovation Across Real Asset Sectors
The conference’s programming reflected two of the most pressing transformations in real estate today: the adaptive reuse of underutilized office buildings and the explosive growth of data centers as critical digital infrastructure.
A sample of panels and presentations from the event:
- Office Obsolescence and a Multi-Family Case Study – 17 Hartwell Avenue
Oliver Carr (MIT ’92), Chief Executive Officer, Carr Properties
Chris Carr (MIT ’23), Development Project Manager, BXP
- AI in Real Estate Finance and Asset Management
Walter Torous, Director, MSRED Program, MIT Center for Real Estate
- Fireside Chat: Building the Digital Economy
Hossein Fateh (P’24, P’27), Founder and CEO, CloudHQ
Jeff Foster, Senior Advisor, Cloud Capital, Northleaf Capital Partners, and Steers Center Faculty
- Opportunities in Real Assets – Data Centers
Matthew Cypher, Atara Kaufman Professor of Real Estate and Academic Director, Steers Center for Global Real Assets
Luke Marchand, Vice President, TA Realty
Sean McDermott (MBA ’11), Managing Director, Eastdil Secured
Throughout the day, speakers addressed how global demand shifts; technological change, and energy constraints are driving new asset strategies. From the complexities of financing adaptive reuse projects to the operational realities of gigawatt-scale data centers, participants gained insight into both the risks and opportunities defining real estate’s next frontier.
A pivotal moment that aligned with my interests in student housing development and the burgeoning data center sector, while directly informing my thesis, venture plans, and career path.”
Jainil Shah, MSRED Candidate 2026
Academic Insights with Real-World Application
For MSRED students, the conference served as a live extension of classroom learning, connecting theory to practice in tangible ways.
Jainil Shah, current MSRED student described the experience as “a pivotal moment that aligned with my interests in student housing development and the burgeoning data center sector, while directly informing my thesis, venture plans, and career path.”
In discussions with Carr Properties and BXP, students explored the technical and financial challenges of converting obsolete office assets into multi-family housing. These conversations validated growing trends in adaptive reuse and displayed how land valuation increasingly depends on readiness for specific, high demand uses such as student housing near major institutions.
Students examined capital strategy and risk management through the lens of firms pursuing opportunistic acquisitions of undervalued assets. “Understanding how to identify, finance, and reposition these properties is a critical skill set for developers and investors,” Shah reflected.
Equally impactful were the sessions on data center investment and operations, led by Hossein Fateh of CloudHQ. Students gained firsthand insights into the challenges of developing and operating facilities that serve as the backbone of the digital economy where scale, power access, and sustainability are strategic differentiators.
Building Thought Leadership Through Collaboration
The partnership between MIT/CRE and Georgetown’s Steers Center is an essential part of strengthening the educational pipeline connecting academia and industry. Through collaborations like this, MIT/CRE seeks to equip students with more opportunities to gain analytical tools, technical knowledge, and cross-sector perspective – all which are needed to lead in this transforming industry.
MSRED student Michael Khamis noted, “It was a fantastic event. We had great discussions on how AI, digital infrastructure, and global forces are reshaping real estate. Grateful to be part of the dialogue driving our industry forward.”
Shaping the Next Generation of Real Estate Innovators
The MIT MSRED program offers a one-year graduate experience for professionals seeking to lead at the intersection of finance, design and development, sustainability, and technology. Events like the Real Assets Conference exemplify the program’s commitment to applied learning which empowers students to translate classroom concepts into actionable strategies for an ever-evolving industry.
If you would like to learn more about the MSRED Program at MIT, consider participating in one of our upcoming virtual sessions.
Virtual Info Sessions
- Tuesday 11/18 @ 12:00 pm – Virtual Information Session
- Friday 12/12 @ 10 am – Admission Q&A Drop-in
The online application is open from September 1–January 7, for enrollment in September 2026. Please visit our Admissions page for more information and application requirements.
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