Property students compete at PropConnex 2026 in Sydney

Following the NZ Case Challenge, The Property Foundation supported three New Zealand student teams from the University of Auckland, Massey University and Lincoln University to compete at PropConnex 2026, the Australasian property case challenge hosted by NAB in Sydney. The New Zealand teams competed against teams from 13 Australian universities.

This year’s case centred on a distressed US multifamily portfolio of 10 residential assets across three states, requiring teams to address valuation, capital structure, financing and exit strategy. Teams had two weeks to develop their strategy and 20 minutes to present it to panels of industry judges, first at the pool stage and then at the finals stage, followed by questions from the judges.

Lincoln University, taking part for only the second time, advanced through the pool stage to become one of four finalists. The two winning places were taken by teams from Sydney and Queensland.

Beyond the competition itself, all three New Zealand teams gained valuable experience from competing at a high level in both the NZ Case Challenge and PropConnex, building their professional networks in New Zealand and internationally, and engaging with the 24 industry judges involved across both countries.

University of Auckland student Sasha Rehm described the event as a demanding and rewarding experience.

“PropConnex was an incredibly rewarding experience that challenged us to work together under pressure, navigate the unfamiliar US property market, and apply our knowledge to a complex property investment case. One of my highlights was the sponsor day, where we had the opportunity to connect with professionals and gain insights into exciting upcoming projects shaping the property sector. A huge thank you to our mentor, Chris Farhi, for generously sharing his time, knowledge, and guidance throughout the competition.”

The University of Auckland team was mentored by Chris Farhi.

Students from the other New Zealand teams shared similar reflections. Lincoln University team members Katie Gardner and Arlya Guard highlighted how different the challenge was from a typical university assignment, requiring them to work through problems together, make decisions under time pressure, and explain and defend their thinking, as well as the generosity of the industry professionals they met. Massey University student Hannah Bramley, who competed again in 2026, said:

“It has been a great experience participating in the competition again this year. I have learnt so much, both from the challenge itself and through the networking events and sponsor day that followed the competition.”

Fellow competitor Marco Pollisco-Lopez summed up the value of the event: “This taught me more about how property actually works than anything I've done in a classroom.”

Zoltan Moricz, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Property Foundation, thanked the students for taking part, as well as the industry professionals and Case Challenge and PropConnex alumni who coached and prepared the teams. He also acknowledged the Foundation’s sponsors, whose support enables its involvement in the Case Challenge and PropConnex, and thanked NAB and the PropConnex team for hosting and organising the event.