UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Wins 4th Annual CREFC Real Estate Debt Case Competition
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NEW YORK, April 11, 2025 ~ The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) held its 4th Annual Real Estate Debt Case Competition in New York City this week, drawing in graduate and undergraduate students from 10 prestigious universities with top-rated real estate programs. As the trade association exclusively representing the nearly $6 trillion commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, CREFC aims to support and promote the next generation of professionals in this field.

The invitation-only competition focused on commercial real estate finance and offered a total of $45,000 in prize money for the winners. After careful deliberation, the judges announced the following winners:

- First place: UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

- Second place: University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Business

- Third place: Cornell University

Lisa Pendergast, President and CEO of CREFC, expressed her gratitude to both the participating student teams and the senior members of CREFC who served as judges. She also acknowledged Ares Management LLC for their contribution in developing a debt case that served as the basis for the competition.

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Pendergast highlighted the importance of this event in bringing together talented students with a passion for commercial real estate finance. She also emphasized how valuable it was to have senior industry professionals guide these up-and-coming professionals.

The 10 universities invited to participate in this year's competition were Columbia University, Cornell University, Florida State University, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Florida, University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Business, UT Austin McCombs School of Business, and Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

During the competition, each team presented their analysis and recommendations for a CRE lending decision based on a real-world transaction. They were given one week to prepare their presentations before presenting them to a panel of senior CRE executives who served as judges. The teams were evaluated on their overall analysis, conclusion, and presentation skills.

The Real Estate Debt Case Competition not only supports CREFC's educational objectives but also helps raise the profile of CRE finance among top universities and their students. It provides a platform for meaningful programming and networking opportunities for students and young professionals.

For more information on the competition or the CREFC Young Professionals Network, please contact Danielle Nathan.

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