Student-Led Investment Process

At University Capital, we bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice by giving students hands-on experience in real estate investing. What sets us apart is our experiential learning model: students lead the investment process—screening, analyzing, and underwriting real deals—while receiving ongoing mentorship and oversight from seasoned industry professionals.

Our process mirrors that of professional real estate investment firms. At the top of our funnel, students screen potential opportunities to determine if they meet our investment criteria. Promising deals advance to an initial due diligence phase where students gather detailed information and assess project viability. Those that continue to show strong potential are fully underwritten and formally presented to our investment committee for review.

In a typical semester, students screen around 25 potential investments, conduct initial due diligence on about 10, underwrite 3 or 4, and present 1 or 2 to partners or investors. This structure provides a unique opportunity for students to gain meaningful deal experience, sharpen their analytical skills, and prepare for careers in real estate—with guidance from experts every step of the way.

Deal Screen

Deals are screened with respect to asset type, location, expected returns, valuation metrics, demographics, and the competitive landscape. For a deal to advance to the initial due diligence phase, at least 2 analysts must approve the move to the next step.

Initial Due Diligence

The due diligence process is rigorous and can be difficult because of the lack of information. Student analysts examine the demographics of the location and surrounding areas, verify zoning and entitlement issues, find comparable properties and gather information on rents, cap rates, and other key metrics needed to properly evaluate the feasibility of an investment.

Underwriting

Only the cream of the crop make it through the deal screen and initial due diligence phases. During the underwriting process, no stone is left unturned and no question unanswered . Students develop a detailed model to validate assumptions and forecasts and a rigorous sensitivity analysis is performed to examine different scenarios and outcomes.

Presentation

After the project is thoroughly underwritten, student analysts prepare a detailed presentation and make recommendations. Partners and investors grill the students during the presentation and decide whether more information is needed or how to proceed given the recommendation of the student analysts.

Investment

Once the investment committee has signed off on a deal, the fund coordinates with partners and investors to finalize the investment.

Monitoring

After an investment is made, student analysts monitor the investment regularly and compare the realized numbers with the forecasted estimates from the underwriting process. We are always striving to improve our processes and analysis – checking back in on previous investments is a critical step to help us improve.