Real Estate Economics and Finance Research Project

Course Objective

This project offers you the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills obtained in the earlier courses of the minor Real Estate Economics and Finance on a topic that you find interesting and important. This will make the material come even further alive. The project also helps you to further develop your research skills (making a good research question, choosing your method, literature review, analysis, and drawing conclusions), which are important skills for your future job, for an internship and for your thesis.

Course Content

In this course you will identify a relevant research topic in real estate economics and finance, write a paper about it and present your results. The research topic must be in the field of real estate economics and finance, broadly defined so as to include urban economics, spatial planning and behavioural economics aspects of real estate markets. The topic can be in any type of real estate including that used for commercial and non-profit purposes, land and infrastructure. The choice of the topic can be based on current new items, large societal problems, a specific interest of yourself, etcetera. The earlier courses in the minor may also provide inspiration. Further to help you a list with potentially interesting topics will be provided. Thereafter, you have to formulate the main research question and formulate a research strategy to find the answer. This can be a review of existing literature, but doing some research yourself is encouraged. This may involve the use of techniques like regression analysis, questionnaires, and interviews.

Teaching Methods

An introductory meeting will be organized by the end of November. In December, you have to register as a group or as a single student. Those registering as single students on related topics will be asked to make a group. You will be appointed a supervisor who will advise you. There will be four tutorials, where groups present their progress and provide constructive feedback on each other. In the first week of January, groups present their research proposal. In the final week of the course results will be presented. For each meeting, each group will also give feedback on one other group’s work to help them improve their work. This will result in a ‘referee report’ for another group that will be graded.

Method of Assessment

Paper, final presentation and referee report are graded as a group. Grades are individualized using the "buddycheck" feedback tool to prevent free-riding and reward hard work.

Recommended background knowledge

Understanding of (Quantitative) Research Methods (e.g. from Quantitative Research Methods I and II) and of Academic Skills.