Shaping the Future: Global Thought Leadership in Real Estate and Urban Studies

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

INSTITUTE OF REAL ESTATE & URBAN STUDIES

Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies 21 Heng Mui Keng Terrace #04-02 Singapore 119613+65 6516 8288 ireus.nus.edu.sg@ ireus@nus.edu.sg

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IREUS brochure_R1_FA_20190507_1_path.pdf 1 8/5/19 11:09 AM

VisionA global leading research institute shaping the future through thought leadership in real estate and urban studies.

The Institute has officially been renamed the NUS

Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies (IREUS)

with effect from February 2018. The addition of the

word ‘Urban’ into the previously known ‘Institute of

Real Estate Studies’ (IRES) has important implications

for the future strategies and development of IREUS.

The new IREUS name reflects the broad realities of the real estate field

that extends beyond what the term ‘real estate’ may suggest. It affords

the appropriate emphasis to the study of urban issues in the broader

context of cities and the built environment, and enables the community

at large to view real estate from a more holistic perspective.

However, the original motives of setting up this university-level

research institute have not deviated following the name change. IREUS

continues to strive to advance multidisciplinary research in the fields of

real estate and urban studies. It relentlessly pushes the frontiers of

knowledge through the publication of cutting-edge and industry

relevant research in the areas ranging from real estate finance, housing

policies and economics, to urban sustainability and land markets.

IREUS identifies four broad themes in its research roadmap to

achieve research excellence. The first three themes are: Real Estate

Finance and Innovations, Housing Policies and Economics, and Urban

Sustainability and Land Markets. The fourth theme, Real Estate

Technologies and Big Data, is an encompassing theme that cuts

across the first three research themes. The institute is also motivated

to undertake Singapore-focused research using micro-data sets and

various policy experiments.

By actively engaging the industry in a spectrum of outreach activities,

research collaborations and exchange of research insights, IREUS

will continue to stay relevant and become a leading research institute

with a global presence.

Real estate is an important asset class in the portfolios of many institutional investors. The ‘brick and mortar’ has increasingly been securitized into highly liquid real estate backed investment products that are traded in public exchanges, which include Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) and other real estate derivatives. The globalization and securitization in local real estate markets open up great opportunities for research in real estate finance and new innovations. IREUS research programmes cover the following areas:

• Institutional and Cross-Border Real Estate Investments• REIT and Financial Innovations• Commercial and Corporate Real Estate

IREUS undertakes various research in urban economics and sustainability. It conducts Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on real time feedback on water consumption using smart water shower meters. In land market studies, it examines research topics related to the efficiency and structure of private residential land markets in Singapore. IREUS research programmes cover the following areas:

• Urban Economics and Transportation• Sustainability and Smart Cities• Land Markets and Policies

IREUS actively engages industry partners, policy makers and the academia through various outreach activities such as forums, symposiums and workshops. It also disseminates research findings, shares insights and policy commentaries on trends and issues in the real estate market and urban studies. Some IREUS outreach activities include:

• ABFER Conferences − Real Estate and Urban Economic Tracks• Roundtable events• Public Lecture Series• Nurturing Young Leaders Lecture Series• Commentaries and Op-eds

SING TIEN FOODirector, Institute of Real Estateand Urban Studies

Dean’s Chair Associate Professor

MissionTo pursue research excellence, enhance knowledge creation and ensure industry relevancein the field of real estate and urban studies.

To proactively engage in collaborative pursuits to create value for the benefit of community, locally and globally.

NUSIREUS

HousingPolicies &Economics

Real EstateFinance &

Innovations

Urban Sustainability &Land Markets Singapore-Focused Research

Rea

l Est

ate

Tech

nologies

Big Data

Real Estate Finance and Innovations

More than just a roof over the head to households, housing is also an important asset class that appreciates in value over time. Households borrow from banks and financial institutions to finance housing purchases. Mortgage markets are therefore closely intertwined with housing markets in most countries across the world. IREUS research programmes cover the following areas:

• Housing Price Dynamics and Economics• Housing Markets and Policies • Behavioral Economics and Demographic

Driven by digitization and technological advancements, information sharing has been made easier than ever, with information now readily available on the Internet. Big data and administrative data from various sources including EzLink public transportation fare cards, GPS data from taxis, and university admission data are used by IREUS researchers for various research projects. IREUS research programmes cover the following areas:

• Big Data Analyses• PropTech and Smart Cities• Applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies

Housing Policies and Economics

Real Estate Technologies and Big Data

Urban Sustainability and Land Markets

Industry Outreach and Communications

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Director’s MessageShaping Global Thought Leadership Through New Capabilities

Promoting Research ExcellenceThe IREUS Research Roadmap

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