Property Case Competition 2026 showcases student talent and industry partnership
The Business School has held its annual Property Case Competition, giving students the opportunity to test their analytical, financial, and presentation skills on a live property challenge.
This year’s competition focused on an office building in Ellerslie. Student teams were given 48 hours to assess investment and development options for the property, undertake financial analysis, and present their recommendations in a concise 10-minute presentation.
The winning team, The Private Sector, comprised Syon Kapoor and Sebastian Kirman-Martin. The other finalists were Bella Crawford, Lily Crawford, Sam Crawford, Jeff He, Sasha Rehm, Zara Sutich, Eva Kulkarni, and Tasha Koo.
The competition was supported by a strong panel of industry judges, including Chris Lin from Cappella, Kayla Renneberg from Alberts NZ, and Taraani Mohammed from Fletcher Living. Their involvement provided students with valuable exposure to industry expectations and professional feedback.
The Department of Property also acknowledges Bayleys Real Estate for hosting the finals and supporting the case property, the Auckland University Property Student Society for helping to promote the competition to students, and Chris Farhi for leading the organisation of the event. The competition has also benefited from the ongoing contribution of Professor Deborah Levy and Jordan Parratt, who have helped build its profile and quality over time.
The competition was supported by a strong panel of industry judges. Their involvement provided students with valuable exposure to industry expectations and professional feedback.
Following the competition, a University of Auckland team will be selected to represent the Business School in The Property Foundation’s New Zealand Case Challenge and the PropConnex Australian competition.
Preparations are also progressing for the upcoming Case Challenge event on 22 July, with CBRE again providing its Auckland offices as the venue. The University of Auckland, Lincoln University, and Massey University are expected to confirm their six person teams by the end of April. Practice cases will begin in mid-May, with students supported by expert coaches led by Kelly Johnson of Westpac, Tom Barclay of PwC, and Chris Farhi of Bayleys Commercial.
There has also been strong industry interest in supporting the judging panel for the Case Challenge. The organising team acknowledges Samantha Lee for her assistance with judging preparations, with the judging process expected to be finalised in late June.