The MSRED Class of 2025 earned major wins in real estate and entrepreneurship competitions this fall
The Class of 2025 at the MIT Center for Real Estate (MIT/CRE) has quickly demonstrated their talents, achieving remarkable success in prestigious competitions and entrepreneurial ventures during their first semester. Their achievements bring focus to the program’s commitment to academic excellence and real-world impact.
I am deeply grateful to have collaborated with my classmates, who have become dear friends along the way.”
Cherry Yang, MSRED Candidate 2025
2024 University of Texas-Austin Real Estate Competition
Second Place: MIT
Team Members: Larry Deng, Ryan Murphy, José Víquez, Dean Firouzian, Joshua Blevins, and Luis Muro
Project: Back Row Capital
Watch their presentation
MIT’s Back Row Capital team secured second place at the 2024 University of Texas-Austin Real Estate Competition. This marks the second time in two years MIT has placed in the top three at this event hosted by UT’s McCombs School of Business.
MSRED student, Joshua Blevins, reflects on the joys and challenges of the competition, “This was a very enjoyable, and well-run, case competition with a great group of my peers. Fierce competition from the best two-dozen Real Estate MBA and MSRED/MRE programs in the country!”
Their innovative project focused on dynamic investment strategies designed to drive portfolio growth. By creatively increasing equity, reducing debt, and mitigating risk, the team’s approach positioned the fund to capitalize on emerging market opportunities. Representing MIT/CRE, the students impressed judges with their expertise, teamwork, and high-level analysis.
More info: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/centers-initiatives/real-estate-center/national-challenge/
2024 Colvin Case Competition, University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Second Place: MIT
Team Members: Ritu Choudhary, José Víquez, Cherry Yang
Project: Clippership Wharf
Competing for the first time, MIT placed second in the 2024 Colvin Case Study Challenge, organized by the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. The competition involved producing an in-depth written analysis and live presentation of an innovative real estate project. The team selected, Clippership Wharf in East Boston by Lendlease– a prime example of urban waterfront development. The project exemplifies climate-resilient design, mitigating environmental risks while creating a vibrant and accessible waterfront experience for the residents of East Boston.
The team got to dive into the nuances of this transformative project and found it both challenging and rewarding.
Ritu Choudhary reflects, “Participating in the Colvin Case Study Challenge was a truly enriching experience, and we are incredibly grateful to the Center for its guidance and support throughout this journey.” During the process, the team received mentorship from Prof. Kairos Shen as well as other faculty at MIT/CRE.
“We also appreciated the opportunity to connect with the development team and other project stakeholders, making the most of the networking experience,” adds José Víquez.
Competitions like this bring the student community together and strong bonds are made, “I am deeply grateful to have collaborated with my classmates, who have become dear friends along the way. It’s amazing to think we began this journey back during orientation when we barely knew one another,” says Cherry Yang.
Their case study report received a perfect score and will be published in January after due diligence with the project’s developer.
Entrepreneurship / MIT Sandbox
Justin Gelwicks, the youngest student in the MSRED Class of 2025, is revolutionizing real estate contract management through his proptech startup, Contraca. Together with co-founder Patrick Timons, Gelwicks aims to simplify the complexities of real estate contracts while unlocking actionable insights for brokers and agents.
“Most of the tools that benefit agents do not benefit the enterprises they work for, and vice versa,” Justin explains, “By building a tool that agents want to use and leveraging data collection and workflows that create immense value for the parent brokerage, we can create a product that can produce very compelling data reports.”
Contraca has garnered funding and mentorship from the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program and the Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project, as well as AWS credits. Set to launch sales in summer 2025, “Contraca is poised to be an industry game-changer!” says mentor and MIT/CRE Lecturer, James Scott.
Hack-A-House 2024
First Place (Housing Safety Net Category): MIT
Team Members: Hannah Leung, Cherry Yang, Franny Xi Wu (MSRED) | Zak Davidson, Milan Chuttani (MCP)
Project: Hometown Hackers
Watch their presentation
In October 2024, MIT team, Hometown Hackers, won first place in the “Housing Safety Net” category at Hack-A-House 2024, hosted by Harvard. Their project provided innovative solutions to address housing affordability and safety. Competing against peers from top institutions, the team’s success highlights MIT’s leadership in tackling critical industry challenges.
The team then pitched their winning proposal live in front of industry leaders and academic experts at the Ivory Prize Housing Innovation Summit hosted by Harvard (They were the only team to represent MIT).
Strength in Community
The MIT/CRE community is incredibly proud of the achievements of the Class of 2025. From excelling in national competitions to spearheading innovative ventures, these students exemplify the program’s ethos of academic rigor and practical impact. Their successes this fall are a testament to their dedication and the strong community of knowledge-sharing within MIT’s Center for Real Estate.
