Research Institute
Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies
Borrelli supports leading-edge research in real estate issues and connects students with experiential learning, industry professionals, and career opportunities in commercial real estate.
Prepare for Your Career in Real Estate
At the Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies (BIRES) at Penn State Smeal College of Business, academic research extends into proprietary market indices, stock pitch competitions, and other hands-on experiences.
Through BIRES, you’ll have access to:
Property site visits and industry events
Case and stock pitch competitions
Technical training and market analysis
Career preparation and employer connections
Faculty-led research and real estate market resources
Critical real estate industry databases and research support
How BIRES Engages
Research & Market Intelligence
Access rent indexes, market analysis, and industry resources to conduct research on problems and issues facing the real estate industry and society.
Faculty Expertise
Explore profiles, research interests, and publications from BIRES faculty, staff, and doctoral students.
Lectures and Seminars
Join research seminars, lectures, and industry events where scholars and practitioners examine emerging issues in real estate.
Where Research Meets Real-World Readiness
Careers in Commercial Real Estate
Walk into interviews ready. BIRES prepares you for real estate internships and careers through property site visits, mock interviews, industry panels, technical training, and resume prep built around what employers actually look for.
REIT Stock Pitch Competition
Make a three-minute investment case for a REIT and defend it in front of Wall Street professionals and industry executives — with scholarship awards up to $4,000 on the line.
Case Competition Team
Compete at the highest level. Penn State's case competition team takes on 8–10 external competitions each year, going head-to-head with top real estate programs from across the country.
Penn State/ACY Alternative Inflation Index
Learn from research faculty shaping the industry. Penn State's Borrelli Institute developed the Penn State/ACY Alternative Inflation Index, a proprietary inflation measure built on real estate market data — now used by economists and analysts across the industry.
Real Estate Programs at Penn State
Engage With BIRES
For Alumni and Members
Take part in advisory board service, events, and other opportunities to support real estate education at Penn State.
Advisory Board
Real Estate Society
Real Estate Events
Support BIRES
For Employers
Recruit Penn State students and engage with emerging real estate talent through institute-supported programs and events.
Recruit Students
Partner With BIRES
Real Estate Events
Real Estate Careers That Start Strong
Smeal real estate graduates don’t just get hired. They get some of the best offers in the college, including signing bonuses that outpace every other Smeal major.
82.9%
Real Estate undergraduate majors placed within six months of graduation
#14
Graduate real estate program, U.S. News and World Report
100%
Real Estate master’s employment and doctoral rate
Partner with BIRES
Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies
Penn State Smeal College of BusinessCenter History & Leadership
BIRES was established in 1985 as Penn State's focal point for real estate education, built to strengthen the connection between academic research and the real estate industry.
Learn how the BIRES Advisory Board brings together industry leaders and supporters who help guide the Institute and strengthen its relationship with the real estate community.
Meet the people driving BIRES's research, programs, and industry partnerships forward.