In an increasingly global business environment, what does it take to get to the next level as a leader in real estate? The art of negotiation? An entrepreneurial spirit? A master of strategy? Staying ahead of the curve?

Certainly, many factors are essential, but it is interesting that among those highly prized by the year one cohort of the Global Real Estate Leaders programme included collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The importance of genuine collaboration with others working across the value chain around the world was highlighted by several of the cohort, and the challenges to everyday thinking that can only arise from exposure to the different sectoral, cultural and geographical perspectives of other professionals was mentioned frequently as particularly valuable.

Success doesn’t come from working in a vacuum

For example, a participant from an international architectural firm said that one priority was to understand the wider context of the global real estate environment. Given the current challenges faced by the real estate industry, he said that clearly no single player can solve everything in isolation, and the industry needs to work together in addressing these issues.

He noted that understanding the problems and drivers from different players was key – understanding the challenges that his clients – and his client’s clients – face, to find the right answers during the important conversations with them.

Different cultural and sectoral perspectives

Meanwhile, the director of sustainability from a global property investor said that the programme challenged her thinking and expanded her network in ways that she hadn’t anticipated, offering a broad view on different perspectives in the real estate industry, and noted that it is important to understand the other perspectives of a business to grow as a leader.

In addition, an SVP from the largest landlord in North America, also prized the understanding gained of the cultural and professional perspectives of leaders from all over the world.

She also observed how the lessons learned from leaders teaching how they captain their own real estate teams strongly complemented the programme’s content material including the real estate case studies from around the world that form some of the programme’s focus.

Developing the next generation of real estate industry leaders

Developed jointly by Maastricht University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working in collaboration with industry collaborators such as ULI, the Global Real Estate Leadership programme, filling a ‘gap’ in education that combines the strategic leadership skills focus of a leadership programme and the in-depth expertise from top leaders who succeeded in the real estate industry across the world over decades. The world class programme is focused on developing the next generation of real estate industry leaders, specialising in the leadership skills required for an executive to head an active real estate organisation, nationally and globally.

It covers the fundamental knowledge required, from finance and investment to development, economics, strategy, analytics and portfolio management, and supplements this with a detailed focus on the emerging and existing megatrends impacting the industry, whether sustainability (and particularly climate risk and ESG), technology (e.g., PropTech (Property Technology) and AI in real estate), demographics, global capital flows, institutionalization and place making.

Complementing this sector expertise is a strong focus on skills development for leadership, from negotiation and influencing to high performance team management, entrepreneurship, ethics, business culture, and DEI.

The year one cohort included diverse professionals from across real estate value chain and from different parts of the world (from China, Hong Kong, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, the US), ranging from investors and developers to landlords and architects.

Reflecting on the importance of learning from others, Jacques Gordon, lecturer and advisory board member on the Global Real Estate Leadership programme, said: “The international aspect of real estate is rarely taught….. you learn a lot watching how your own home country compares with a different geography, culture or real estate focus from a different country.”

“When you get out of your own group think, you expand your mind”, he said.

Juan Palacios is an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics and Visiting Assistant Professor at MIT Center for Real Estate.

Register for the Global Real Estate Leadership programme:

Applications are now open for the Global Real Estate Leadership programme.

• Spring Module: Maastricht and London – April 6-11, 2025
• Fall Module: MIT, Boston & New York City – October 19-24, 2025

It is recommended that prospective candidate should have at least ten years of experience working within the real estate industry, general asset management, finance industry and/or built environment. Prospective participants can apply for individual modules or the full programme.

The application deadline is March 1, 2025.

Further information: ULI Europe website
Apply now: Click here