ARGUS Software Inc. has donated two commercial real estate-software packages to the College of Charleston School of Business, a gift valued at $444,000. The software is the industry standard for analyzing an existing or potential real estate investment and its value.
Real estate students will be able to complete sensitivity analysis when calculating the value of a property with many leases or a project that is under development over an extended period of time. In addition, students will develop their skills in simulated situations to determine how much cash flow a building will generate or to manipulate variables to see how those changes will affect the value of the investment.
“The ARGUS software platform is a valuable asset in making our students competitive in the commercial real estate job market. Our students will be better equipped in and out of the classroom with relevant skills that are needed for internships and post-graduation opportunities,” says Alan T. Shao, Dean of the School of Business. “We are extremely grateful to the ARGUS Software company for making it possible.”
Elaine Worzala, director of the Carter Real Estate Center and professor of real estate, facilitated the software gift with ARGUS and will begin using the software with her students in the fall 2013 courses.
“Most major real estate companies, financial institutions, appraisers, investors, developers, and contractors that use institutional capital apply this software when analyzing investment opportunities,” says Worzala. “These skills will be incorporated into our undergraduate real estate curriculum to better prepare our students for their careers.”
The two software packages include ARGUS Valuation DCF and ARGUS Developer. Valuation DCF is designed for the valuation and management of existing properties, while Developer is intended for large-scale development projects that may take years to complete such as shopping centers, office buildings, industrial buildings, apartments, hotels, resorts and mixed-use developments.
In addition to the ARGUS software, students will have the opportunity to compete each spring semester in the ARGUS case competition against other universities across the country.
For more information about the Carter Real Estate Center or the real estate academic program, contact Elaine Worzala, director of the Carter Real Estate Center, at worzalae@cofc.edu or 843.953.8121.
About the School of Business
College of Charleston’s School of Business offers seven undergraduate majors and several interdisciplinary concentrations, an honors program in business, an M.S. in Accountancy and an MBA. Approximately 1800 undergraduate and graduate students attend from as far away as China, Germany and Brazil. The faculty has research expertise in areas such as global logistics, hospitality and tourism, political economics, financial investment, bankruptcy, business intelligence, real estate, and sustainable business practices. Visit http://sb.cofc.edu/to learn more about our students’ achievements, undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty and Centers of Excellence.
About the Carter Real Estate Center
The Carter Real Estate Center (CREC) facilitates the teaching, research, and industry service by bringing together students, faculty and business community executives to better understand the complexities of commercial real estate assets and the changing dynamics within the industry today and to help prepare students for post-graduate job placements. The CREC was established and is supported with a generous gift from Ben Carter of Ben Carter Enterprises (Atlanta, GA), the Carter family, and other friends of the Center. Visit http://sb.cofc.edu/centers/carter/ for more information.
