Publications

March 2010 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Design Creates Fortune: 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard

By: John D. Macomber and Griffin James

A real estate developer assesses its ability to capture the benefits of investing in LEED Platinum, Vedic Design, and EnergyStar components in new buildings. The building at 2000 Tower Oaks Boulevard in Rockville, Maryland is said to be the healthiest building in the... View Details

Keywords: Buildings and Facilities; Cost vs Benefits; Energy Conservation; Construction; Investment; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Leasing; Renting or Rental; Value Creation; Real Estate Industry; Maryland

01 Jun 2011
News

Boston-area home prices off 2.7% in a year

10 Dec 2010
News

Hub home values up by $11B

January 2010
Case

Five and Six Dulles Station

By: Arthur I Segel

Cricket Real Estate Advisors needs to decide if they should invest in a proposed joint venture development with Buddy Holly & Associates. Holly is a successful northern Virginia office developer who plans to develop two buildings containing 232,750 rentable square... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Joint Ventures; Markets; Accounting Audits; International Finance; Agreements and Arrangements; Change; Strategic Planning; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Financial Management; Real Estate Industry

Career Coach

Lauren Weston

experience in the fintech, software, and real estate technology sectors. In particular, she can help students who want to "break into VC" as well as students who worked in investing prior to HBS and are... View Details

January 2012 (Revised January 2014)
Case

Mexico City Water Shortage

By: John D. Macomber, Regina Garcia-Cuellar, Griffin H. James and Frederik Nellemann

In this case, a property company, a water privatizer, and municipal engineers explore the causes of and solutions to a severe water shortage in Mexico City, a great global capital. The protagonist is a real estate investor doing due diligence on the magnitude of the... View Details

Keywords: Infrastructure; Environmental Sustainability; Urban Development; Mexico City

August 2004 (Revised December 2005)
Case

Li Ka-Shing

By: Nitin Nohria and Bridget Gurtler

From his humble beginnings in China as a teacher's son, a refugee, and later as a salesman, Li provides a lesson in integrity and adaptability. Through hard work, and a reputation for remaining true to his internal moral compass, he was able to build a business empire... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Success; Business Conglomerates; Ethics; Values and Beliefs; China

11 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

Shrinking the Racial Wealth Gap, One Mortgage at a Time

Hiring more minority loan officers could help people of color secure significantly more home loans and address one of the biggest factors driving the racial wealth gap, new research finds. In the white-dominated US banking industry, minority borrowers’ applications are... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services

Article

Large Banks and Small Firm Lending

By: Vitaly Bord, Victoria Ivashina and Ryan D. Taliaferro

We examine the long-lasting effects of the 2007 real estate price collapse on small business credit supply. Banks affected by the decline in real estate prices systematically contracted their credit to small firms. At the same time, regional and local banks, many of... View Details

Keywords: Small Firms; Credit Supply; Banking Competition; Small Business; Credit; Financial Crisis; Banks and Banking; Competition

Find at Harvard

September 2003 (Revised November 2003)
Case

Raiser Organization, The

By: John A. Davis and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Jennifer and Philip Raiser, a sibling partnership who inherited a real estate management and ownership company from their father, ponder the strategic and financial challenges facing their family business. Reviews the history of the business and asks what the best... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Family Business; Growth and Development Strategy; Real Estate Industry

09 Mar 2021
Cold Call Podcast

A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession

Keywords: Re: Christina R. Wing; Real Estate

May 2010 (Revised January 2014)
Case

Water Shortage and Property Investing in Mexico City

By: John D. Macomber, Regina Garcia-Cuellar and Griffin James

A commercial property company evaluates water risks including the government's ability to remedy, the company's operating exposure and mitigation, and whether to relocate because of water risk. A real estate fund manager assesses investment prospects in Mexico City in... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Investment; Risk Management; Infrastructure; Privatization; Business and Government Relations; Partners and Partnerships; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; Utilities Industry; Mexico City

February 2004 (Revised May 2007)
Case

George Barker

By: John A. Davis

George Barker, the 40-year-old CEO of his family's commercial real estate design and development firm, must deal with the unsatisfactory performance of his brother Peter, who is also in the business. Although Peter's performance is upsetting to George, George feels... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Leadership Style; Business or Company Management; Performance Evaluation; Problems and Challenges; Family and Family Relationships; Real Estate Industry

July 2005
Case

Family Governance at the Cousin Consortium Stage

By: John A. Davis and Courtney Sampson

Explains the governance system for the Eddy family, who own the Port Blakely Companies. Provides the viewer with an inside look at the running of the family council and family assembly meetings. Also provides a brief history and overview of the forestry and real estate... View Details

Keywords: Conferences; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Corporate Governance; Business History; Business or Company Management; Family Ownership

10 Jun 2020
News

Coronavirus May Have Huge Impact on Property Markets

September 2002 (Revised January 2003)
Case

Intrawest Corporation

By: Frances X. Frei, Daniel Rethazy and Corey B. Hajim

Describes the dilemma surrounding Intrawest's growth strategy for the future. The organization must decide whether to continue its present development tactic or use its expertise to diversify its resort products in terms of location and type or spin off associated... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Growth and Development Strategy; Accommodations Industry; Tourism Industry