Subject Overview

An advanced study of the full real estate lifecycle, integrating development project management with operational asset management. The subject covers feasibility, finance, planning, delivery, contracts, risk, sustainability, operations, leasing, performance analytics, governance and technology across major property sectors.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to formulate, deliver and govern real estate projects and asset strategies; evaluate financial, operational and market performance; manage stakeholders and risks; and make ethical, data-driven decisions that improve lifecycle value and resilience.

Syllabus

1. Real Estate Project and Asset Management Foundations

Learning Objective: Explain industry terminology, property sectors, stakeholder roles, ownership structures and the development-to-disposal lifecycle; distinguish project, development, property, facility, asset and portfolio management.

Category: foundation

2. Market Analysis, Highest and Best Use, and Project Feasibility

Learning Objective: Apply market research, demand–supply analysis, site selection, highest-and-best-use principles and legal, technical, environmental and financial due diligence to prepare feasibility studies and development briefs.

Category: core

3. Development Strategy and Business Case

Learning Objective: Translate investor objectives into product, positioning, phasing and exit strategies; evaluate alternative development scenarios using strategic fit, risk, returns and lifecycle value.

Category: strategic

4. Real Estate Finance, Valuation and Investment Appraisal

Learning Objective: Analyse capital structures, construction finance, cash flows, cap rates and valuation methods; apply NPV, IRR, equity multiple, DSCR, sensitivity, scenario and probabilistic analysis to investment decisions.

Category: core

5. Planning, Design and Pre-Construction Management

Learning Objective: Manage land assembly, entitlements, statutory approvals, master planning, design development, constructability, value engineering, cost planning and project governance from concept to tender readiness.

Category: core

6. Project Planning, Scheduling and Cost Control

Learning Objective: Develop work breakdown structures, critical path and resource plans; establish budgets and baselines; use earned value management, forecasting, change control and performance dashboards to control time and cost.

Category: application

7. Procurement, Contracts and Commercial Management

Learning Objective: Select procurement routes and contract forms; manage tendering, consultant and contractor appointments, payment, variations, claims, delays, dispute resolution and commercial closeout using fair and transparent practices.

Category: core

8. Construction Delivery, Quality, Safety and Commissioning

Learning Objective: Lead site delivery through quality assurance, health and safety, progress management, testing, commissioning, defects management, occupancy readiness, handover and post-occupancy evaluation.

Category: application

9. Risk, Uncertainty and Resilience Management

Learning Objective: Build and govern risk registers covering market, financial, design, construction, regulatory, climate, operational and reputational risks; apply allocation, mitigation, contingency, stress testing and crisis-response frameworks.

Category: advanced

10. Stakeholder Leadership, Ethics and Governance

Learning Objective: Manage investors, communities, authorities, occupiers and delivery teams through communication, negotiation and conflict resolution; establish decision rights, reporting, assurance, accountability and ethical controls, including anti-corruption and responsible land practices.

Category: strategic

11. Sustainability and Lifecycle ESG Management

Learning Objective: Integrate whole-life carbon, energy, water, waste, biodiversity, climate adaptation, social value and green-building standards into project and asset decisions; assess ESG performance, compliance and greenwashing risk.

Category: contemporary

12. Asset Management Strategy and Business Planning

Learning Objective: Develop asset plans aligned with owner mandates and market cycles; segment assets, define hold–sell–redevelop decisions, plan capital expenditure and repositioning, and balance income, appreciation, risk and obsolescence.

Category: strategic

13. Property Operations, Facilities, Leasing and Tenant Experience

Learning Objective: Optimise operating expenditure, maintenance, building services, service contracts, leasing, tenant retention, rent reviews, arrears and customer experience while maintaining statutory compliance and business continuity.

Category: application

14. Asset Performance Analytics and Portfolio Decision-Making

Learning Objective: Evaluate NOI, occupancy, WALE, rent reversion, operating ratios, total return and benchmark performance; use variance, attribution, scenario and portfolio analysis to support capital allocation, refinancing and disposal decisions.

Category: advanced

15. PropTech, BIM, Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence

Learning Objective: Assess BIM, GIS, IoT, digital twins, common data environments, automated workflows and AI applications in forecasting, leasing, maintenance and risk detection; address cybersecurity, privacy, model bias, data governance and future industry developments.

Category: contemporary