Roger Williams University Students Compete in International Real Estate Challenge in Europe

BRISTOL, R.I. – Three Roger Williams University students traveled to Milan, Italy, in January to compete in the International Real Estate Challenge. The competition brought together students from universities worldwide to develop real estate proposals for several European cities.

The RWU students –Sean Barry, Lucas Hare, and Ferlando Louis – were accompanied by their faculty sponsor, Issa Romaji, Director of the Cummings Institute for Real Estate. The program brought together 70 students from 12 universities to Milan, where they were divided into multinational teams and dispersed across Europe. Each team was tasked with developing real estate proposals based on the economic, cultural, and development conditions of its host city.

The competition offers students the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world international markets while collaborating with peers from diverse countries. The program promoted experiential learning and global engagement, providing students with hands-on experience in the real estate industry on a global scale.

Lucas Hare, a senior Finance major and Business minor with a core concentration in International Studies from Fairport, N.Y.,  traveled to Barcelona, Spain, for his team’s project.

“The International Real Estate Competition in Milan was a fantastic experience both personally and academically regarding international markets, real estate, and networking globally,” he said.

Lucas and his team worked with Professor Romaji to explore real estate opportunities and give a formal presentation to real estate professionals. The proposal Lucas developed with his team was recognized as one of the top three finalists for the competition.

Sean Barry, a junior International Business and Business Management double major from Hingham, Mass., traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, where he and his team analyzed local real estate conditions and developed their proposal. Barry described competition as “a defining moment in my academic career.”

“Having never traveled outside the United States before, visiting Milan and then traveling to Istanbul with my team took the world I usually see on a screen and made it real.” He continued to reflect on the values he took from the experience. He said it helped him step out of his comfort zone and emphasized the academically rewarding aspects of the competition, including collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds, conducting in-depth research, and developing presentations in a new environment.

Ferlando Louis, a senior from Providence, R.I., traveled to Brussels, Belgium, to work with a team advising International Soft Landings on their European office expansion strategy. The group conducted market research by evaluating factors such as cost, sustainability, and long-term value.

“My abilities in market research, financial analysis, and collaboration were all greatly enhanced by this experience,” he said, “while also allowing me to gain valuable insight into real estate consulting and International development.”

The Construction Management major with minors in Business and Real Estate explained that the competition exposed him to a different level of real estate consulting, where he could apply the knowledge gained from his coursework, an experience that will ultimately support his professional goals.