A team of Purdue University students secured second place and $7,500 at the prestigious 2025 Weiser Center for Real Estate Case Competition, held October 24 at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
The Purdue team, consisting of Avery Huber, Filippa Rodriguez, Zane Barnett, Ashling McNaughton and Liam Parsons, are all real estate finance minors in the Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program. They competed against top real estate programs in the "You're the CEO" challenge, which tasked students with developing a comprehensive strategic plan for Sun Communities (SUI), a publicly traded REIT focused on manufactured housing and RV communities.
In the preliminary round, the Purdue team advanced past both host University of Michigan and New York University, demonstrating the strength of their strategic analysis and presentation skills. Auburn University ultimately took first place, while Indiana University finished third.
“I’m proud of this group. I've had every one of them in class and they represent the very best of what the real estate finance minor at Purdue has to offer," said Jeffery Stokes, advisor to the team and clinical professor of economics at Purdue's Mitch Daniels School of Business.
The case competition, made possible by Mark and Allison Parrell and presented by Michigan Ross, required teams to step into the role of CEO and develop a 24-month strategic and financial plan for Sun Communities. Teams had just nine days from case release to submission deadline to analyze the company's capital structure, portfolio strategy, capital allocation, operations and value creation opportunities.
Teams were evaluated on strategic insight, analytical rigor, presentation clarity and their ability to defend assumptions during an intense question and answer session with judges, all industry professionals familiar with public REITs and real estate finance.
The second-place finish continues Purdue's strong showing in national real estate competitions. Students in the real estate finance minor gain hands-on experience analyzing complex real estate investment scenarios, preparing them for successful careers in commercial real estate.
Learn more about Purdue's Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program
