Whether you are a first-time founder, a technical expert, or seeking to deploy capital, we are a community focused on identifying breakthrough applications in support of real estate investment, capital markets, development, and sustainability.

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The Initiative in Real Estate Innovation is a crucible for ideas, collaboration, and breakthrough applications at the intersection of real estate and emerging technologies. In an industry being reshaped by the increasing ubiquity of data, tools leveraging artificial intelligence, improvements in robotics, and systems-level innovation, the Initiative supports new models of thinking and doing—where early-stage ideas grow into actionable strategies and scalable solutions. We serve as an incubator for technologies and ventures that challenge convention and expand what’s possible in how we build, finance, and interact with the spaces around us.

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Our Institute, Your Launchpad

 

The Initiative draws its strength from a unique combination of assets: globally recognized faculty and researchers, deep ties to industry and capital markets, and a founding team with expertise spanning real estate, economics, and engineering. Located at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities—and with a global academic network—we offer an environment where ambitious ideas are met with the tools, talent, and partnerships they need to grow. With an emphasis on application over abstraction, we foster a culture that blends rigorous inquiry with entrepreneurial momentum.

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Flagship MBA Course in Real Estate Data Science and Innovation

 

A foundational pillar of the Initiative is the MBA and undergraduate course Real Estate Data Science and Innovation—the first of its kind at a leading global business school. The course equips students to lead technology strategy in real estate, while also developing fluency in data science, coding, and model training. The curriculum blends business insight with technical depth, producing graduates capable of evaluating innovation not just as an abstract concept but as a pathway to measurable value and industry change.

 

Applied Research with Real-World Reach

 

The Initiative’s research portfolio focuses on how technology is reshaping every facet of the built environment—from construction automation and smart infrastructure to AI-driven underwriting and adaptive reuse. We prioritize applied research that informs business and policy decisions, and we work in partnership with developers, investors, engineers, and public agencies to test ideas in real-world contexts.

 

Launching in Early 2026: An Ecosystem for Execution

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Our accelerator is more than a startup support program—it is a platform for advancing ideas that challenge the status quo across the built environment. Grounded in the strengths of a world-class academic institution and anchored in New York City—a global capital for real estate, technology, and capital markets—the accelerator serves as a bridge between innovation and implementation.

 

We identify ventures and concepts at the intersection of real estate and tech, with a focus on those poised to redefine how space is financed, constructed, occupied, and experienced. Our selection process is driven by intellectual rigor, market insight, and a commitment to practical relevance. Participants gain access to an ecosystem of advisors, including faculty and executives from business, engineering, data science, law, and urban studies—alongside accomplished founders, asset managers, technologists, and policy experts.

 

The accelerator supports ventures at various stages of development, from early ideation to the cusp of commercialization, offering structured pathways for validation, refinement, and growth. While we do not provide direct funding, we facilitate investor introductions, pilot opportunities, and targeted advisory relationships.

 

Drawing on our global footprint, including campuses and centers in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, we also support cross-border collaboration, global scaling, and localized testing. International partners benefit from proximity to the U.S. capital markets and New York’s complex urban fabric, while New York-based teams access international expertise and pathways to foreign markets.

 

Beyond startups, the accelerator also serves as an incubator for original programs and ventures initiated within the Institute itself—ideas developed through research collaborations, course projects, and applied faculty initiatives. This dual model ensures a steady flow of externally-sourced and internally-generated innovation, reinforcing the Initiative’s mission to be a crucible for breakthrough applications in real estate and the built environment.

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Led by Scholar-Practitioners

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The Initiative is led by Sam Chandan, PhD, Founding Director of the Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance, a professor at NYU Stern, and an economist, engineer, and epidemiologist by training. His experience spans academia, policy, and the private sector—including advisory roles to institutional investors, development firms, and fintech ventures. His cross-disciplinary background ensures the Initiative is guided by a deep understanding of both economic fundamentals and technology systems, with a focus on execution and practical relevance.

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Be Part of the Transformation Real Estate

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We invite expressions of interest from collaborators across the innovation spectrum. Whether you are a first-time founder, a technical expert, or seeking to deploy capital, we are a community focused on identifying breakthrough applications in support of real estate investment, capital markets, development, and sustainability.