Annual Real Estate Symposium
Cummings Institute for Real Estate
Date, Time, and Location
April 25, 2024
11:30am - 5:00pm
District Hall | Providence
About The Event
In 2024, five years after the COVID-19 pandemic first changed the way the world conducts business, the real estate industry braces against the possibility of a significant market downturn. Undervaluation of assets by lending authorities in capital markets combined with higher interest rates loom threateningly over commercial, residential, and retail sectors of the real estate industry. Office space vacancy rates are at an all-time high as employees demand more of the remote and hybrid working opportunities that were a necessity during the pandemic. Across the nation, a crisis in affordable housing persists, yet local, state, and federal regulations stimy development in impacted communities. The world has changed, and real estate cannot subscribe to a business-as-usual philosophy. How well equipped is the industry to adjust to this continuing reality?
At the Roger Williams University Cummings Institute for Real Estate, we believe in confronting concerns like these head on. What will the real estate industry look like in the next year? Or the next five years? How will dramatic cap rate fluctuations impact current asset portfolios? At the second annual real estate symposium, our speakers and panel experts will recall past industry challenges, ponder current trends, and predict future opportunities as they discuss this year’s topic:  "The Real Estate Industry in 2024—Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies." If you are a real estate professional working in development, architecture, construction management, and or sales, this is an invaluable opportunity for you to connect with an informed network of colleagues and discuss strategies for moving forward towards higher returns.
Highlights
- Panel discussions with leading experts in construction, planning, real estate, and sustainability
- Student poster presentations featuring Real Estate graduate students from Roger Williams University
- Luncheon and cocktail reception
Thank you to our 2024 sponsors:
Presenting Sponsors
Cocktail Sponsor
Keynote Sponsor
Panel Sponsor
Table Sponsors
Symposium Schedule At A Glance
11:30 – 12:00 pm: Registration
12:00 – 1:00 pm: Plated Luncheon and Welcome
Speakers: Margaret Everett, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Heather Boujoulian ’97, Richard Godfrey, Executive Director, Cummings Institute for Real Estate
1:00 – 1:15 pm: Opening Address: Congressman Gabe Amo
1:20 – 2:05 pm: Panel Discussion: Decline and fall of the conventional work model: Reimagining the potential and redefining the use of vacant office space in urban areas.
2:05-2:20 pm: Networking Break & Dessert
2:25 – 3:10 pm: Panel Discussion: Affordable housing risk and reward: Balancing the need for affordable/multifamily housing development with the uncertainty of investment and an acceptable rate of return.
3:15 – 3:40 pm: Keynote Address: Phil Mobley
3:45 – 4:30 pm: Panel Discussion: Retail development then and now: Reflections on the golden age of brick-and-mortar shopping, big-box stores, and the impact of e-commerce on this sector of real estate investment.
4:30 pm: Cocktail Reception and Student Poster Presentations