The Chen Institute is home to a set of research centers and thematic initiatives that address foundational and emerging areas in real estate. The Center for Real Estate Finance, established in 2012, anchors the Institute’s scholarly and policy work on residential and commercial real estate markets. In addition, the Institute spearheads three major initiatives:

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Initiative in Real Estate Innovation

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The Innovation Initiative examines how technological innovation is transforming the structure and function of real estate markets, as well as our relationship to the built environment. Areas of inquiry include the innovation ecosystem; pricing, valuation, and risk management; smart building systems; and the application of AI and machine learning in decision-making. Student engagement is facilitated through the Real Estate Data Science and Artificial Intelligence course, the first of its kind among leading business schools. The Innovation Initiative, in collaboration witht he Climate Initiative, hosts NYU's annual Innovation and Sustainability Symposium. The Initiative is also home to the  Institute's incubation and acceleration programs, which advance technologies and applications that hold unusually high promise in disrupting the industry.

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The Initiative for Climate and the Built Environment

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The Climate Initiative explores the real estate sector’s contributions to climate change and its vulnerability to environmental risks. Research areas include climate risk modeling, property insurance markets, building decarbonization strategies, green finance, and climate migration and housing. A central component of this initiative is the Laboratory for Urban Epidemiology and Public Health in the Built Environment, which investigates how the design and operation of buildings and cities influence public health outcomes, with a focus on pandemic preparedness and the intersection of climate and health across urban populations. The Climate Initiative, in collaboration witht he Innovation Initiative, hosts NYU's annual Innovation and Sustainability Symposium each winter.

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The Initiative in Real Estate in Global and Emerging Markets

 

The Global Initiative focuses on the institutionalization and globalization of real estate markets in both mature and rapidly developing economies. Drawing on NYU’s international presence, the initiative examines capital flow regulation, governance and legal frameworks, market transparency, and the role of real estate in sustainable urban growth and economic development.

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Together, these programs support interdisciplinary research, graduate and undergraduate education, and public dialogue on the most pressing issues facing the real estate industry and the built environment worldwide.