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IT Center for Real Estate (MIT/CRE) joined forces with Georgetown University’s Steers Center for Global Real Assets to co‑host the Real Assets Conference and Back to School event in Washington, D.C. The full‑day forum brought together students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders from both schools to examine the forces reshaping the built environment—from artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to office‑to‑residential conversions and the evolving role of global capital.

    “Back to School events are excellent networking opportunities for alumni and current students,” said Walter Torous, Director of the Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) program and Senior Lecturer at MIT/CRE. “They broaden professional exposure to new ideas and trends in today’s commercial real estate industry.”

    The conference highlighted two of the most urgent shifts in real estate: the adaptive reuse of underutilized office buildings and the explosive growth of data centers as critical digital infrastructure. Key panels and presentations included:

    - **Office Obsolescence and a Multi‑Family Case Study – 17 Hartwell Avenue** – Oliver Carr (MIT ’92), CEO of Carr Properties, and Chris Carr (MIT ’23), Development Project Manager at BXP, examined the conversion of a vacant office tower into student‑housing units.

    - **AI in Real Estate Finance and Asset Management** – Walter Torous discussed how machine learning is transforming valuation, risk assessment, and portfolio optimization.

    - **Fireside Chat: Building the Digital Economy** – Hossein Fateh (P’24, P’27), Founder and CEO of CloudHQ, joined Jeff Foster, Senior Advisor at Cloud Capital and Steers Center faculty, to explore the role of data centers in the digital economy.

    - **Opportunities in Real Assets – Data Centers** – Matthew Cypher, Atara Kaufman Professor of Real Estate and Academic Director of the Steers Center, spoke with Luke Marchand, Vice President of TA Realty, and Sean McDermott (MBA ’11), Managing Director at Eastdil Secured, about financing, operating, and scaling gigawatt‑scale facilities.

    Speakers addressed how global demand shifts, technological change, and energy constraints are driving new asset strategies. They explored the complexities of financing adaptive‑reuse projects, the operational realities of large‑scale data centers, and the risks and opportunities that define real estate’s next frontier.

    For MSRED students, the conference served as a live extension of classroom learning, connecting theory to practice. Jainil Shah, a current MSRED candidate, described the experience as “a pivotal moment that aligned with my interests in student‑housing development and the burgeoning data‑center sector, directly informing my thesis, venture plans, and career path.” She noted that conversations with Carr Properties and BXP validated the growing trend of converting obsolete office assets into high‑demand uses such as student housing near major institutions, and highlighted the importance of capital strategy and risk management in opportunistic acquisitions of undervalued assets.

    Sessions on data‑center investment and operations, led by Hossein Fateh of CloudHQ, gave students firsthand insights into the challenges of developing and operating facilities that serve as the backbone of the digital economy. Scale, power access, and sustainability emerged as strategic differentiators.

    Through collaborations like this, MIT/CRE aims to equip students with analytical tools, technical knowledge, and cross‑sector perspectives needed to lead in a transforming industry. MSRED student Michael Khamis remarked, “It was a fantastic event. We had great discussions on how AI, digital infrastructure, and global forces are reshaping real estate. I’m grateful to be part of the dialogue driving our industry forward.”

    The MIT MSRED program offers a one‑year graduate experience for professionals who want to lead at the intersection of finance, design, development, sustainability, and technology. Events such as the Real Assets Conference exemplify the program’s commitment to applied learning, empowering students to translate classroom concepts into actionable strategies for an ever‑evolving industry.

    If you’d like to learn more about the MSRED Program at MIT, consider joining one of our upcoming virtual sessions:

    - Tuesday 11/18 @ 12:00 pm EST – Virtual Information Session

    - Friday 12/12 @ 10 am EST – Admission Q&A Drop‑in

    The online application is open from September 1 – January 7 for enrollment in September 2026. Visit our Admissions page for more information and application requirements.