When more than 40,000 real estate professionals and students gathered in Las Vegas this May for the annual ICSC RECon conference – the world’s largest commercial real estate gathering – Cal State Fullerton Business Titans weren’t merely in attendance. They took third place in a case study competition on May 11, featuring 15 schools.

The CSUF team, comprised of Real Estate Association president Joseph Aranda ’24, Eric Rangel ’24, Daniil M. Rubio ’26 and Natalie Nyaung ’27, earned a $2,000 scholarship.

Students presented strategies for the redevelopment of a more than 250,000 square foot retail space in Boca Raton, Florida, provided by real estate operator and developer EDENS.

“Through market research and financial analysis, the students recommended the best course of action,” says Jia Xie, associate professor of finance and CSUF real estate expert. “This experience taught them about the nuanced approach that retail real estate investment trusts take when selecting a tenant mix, and the importance of quickly understanding team members’ strengths and delegating tasks.”

The ICSC RECon Conference is a premier networking and professional development opportunity for Cal State Fullerton students aspiring to real estate careers. Experiential opportunities, such as attending the ICSC RECon Conference, are made possible by generous philanthropic contributions from alumni of the business college.

In recent years, CSUF’s footprint in the real estate education landscape has grown with the establishment of a real estate concentration, the resurrection and expanded focus of the annual Real Estate Forum, and increased connections for student internships and recent grad career opportunities.

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