USC Lusk Center for Real Estate

What USC Lusk Center for Real Estate does

The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate is a nonprofit university research center within the University of Southern California, founded in 1969 and headquartered at 650 Childs Way, Ralph & Gold Lewis Hall, Suite 331, in Los Angeles, California. The center advances real estate knowledge, informs industry practice, and addresses urban-economy and public-policy issues through three core offerings: the annual USC Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast, which tracks multifamily supply, demand, prices, and policies across 5 Southern California markets and 31 submarkets; the Neighborhood Data for Social Change data platform for Los Angeles; and the Ross Program in Real Estate, an Executive Education certificate course established in 1993 for underrepresented groups in real estate leadership. The center also publishes working papers, research briefs, and hosts the Rena Sivitanidou Research Symposium, Lusk Perspectives podcast, K. Conly Chi Speakers Series, and Industry Night, which annually draws 60-80 firms.

The center operates a hybrid revenue model anchored in tiered corporate sponsorships (Benefactor, Gold, Silver), membership programs (Advisory Council, Executive Committee, Center Members), paid executive education via the Ross Program, and research grants administered to USC faculty and Ph.D. students. It serves a tri-segment customer base: USC students enrolled in MBA, MRED, undergraduate, and Ph.D. programs across the Marshall, Price, and Viterbi schools; Southern California real estate industry professionals who access research, attend events, and recruit through Industry Night; and faculty/academic researchers who receive stipends and publication venues. Sponsorship and membership tiers form the core of the financial model, with notable partners including American Realty Advisors, Colliers, Watt Companies, Barker Pacific Group, Cox Castle, Hunt Capital Partners, Foundation for Affordable Housing, and the World Bank-led 'Way Forward' initiative.

Name

USC Lusk Center for Real Estate

Legal name

USC Lusk Center for Real Estate

Website

https://lusk.usc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Research and Education

NAICS

Other Activities Related to Real Estate (531390), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210)

SIC

Real Estate (6500), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Market Research & Economic Advisory (Demand/Supply, Location Analytics) (BPAJANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI)

Keywords

• Real estate research
• Executive education
• Multifamily forecasting
• Urban economics
• Housing market analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Membership: The center receives financial support from corporate sponsors at various levels (Benefactor, Gold, Silver) and maintains a membership program with Advisory Council, Executive Committee, and Center Members tiers.
2. Executive Education Programs: The Ross Program in Real Estate is an Executive Education course with a program fee for participants. Fall 2026 session runs September 10 - October 2, 2026 with remote instruction.
3. Research Grants: The center administers research stipends for faculty and Ph.D. students. The 2026 USC Lusk Center Research Applications provide stipends to facilitate high-quality research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate is a university research and education center that advances real estate knowledge through the annual Casden Multifamily Forecast, the Ross Program in Real Estate executive education certificate, the Neighborhood Data for Social Change platform, and academic research dissemination. It serves students, faculty, and industry professionals through degree programs, research publications, networking events, and corporate sponsorship programs.

Product overview

USC Lusk Center for Real Estate is an academic research and education center at the University of Southern California offering a portfolio of products and services including: the main USC Lusk Center organizational unit that advances real estate knowledge through multidisciplinary research; the USC Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast providing annual multifamily market analysis; the USC Ross Program in Real Estate as an executive education certificate course; research papers, briefs, and symposium events; the Neighborhood Data for Social Change data platform; and career services connecting students with industry professionals. The center serves as a focal point for professional interaction among real estate academics, students, and industry executives through forums, seminars, and networking events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• USC Casden Forecast: Annual multifamily real estate forecast analyzing trends in the multi-family residential real estate market and relationships among market demand, supply, prices, and policies.
• Ross Program in Real Estate
• Neighborhood Data for Social Change

Products and services

• USC Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast Annual forecast report that employs economic theory and state-of-the-art methods to monitor dynamics of regional real estate markets, analyzing multifamily residential market trends and relationships among market demand, supply, prices, and policies across five Southern California counties and 31 submarkets.
• USC Ross Program in Real Estate Executive Education certificate course that provides critical real estate finance and development education, enabling members of underrepresented groups and those investing in emerging communities to build leadership roles in real estate. Next session: September 10 - October 2, 2026 (Remote).
• Neighborhood Data for Social Change Data platform providing neighborhood-level data for the Los Angeles area to support research and analysis on social change and neighborhood-level outcomes.
• Research Papers and Briefs High-quality academic research publications including working papers, research briefs, and award-winning studies focused on real estate and urban economics topics including housing finance, urban transportation, land use, and neighborhood change.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 2025 Casden Multifamily Forecast predicts rent increases across all five Southern California markets, with Inland Empire seeing highest increases at 12.7% by 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered silver, benefactor, partners and program affiliates.

• Hunt Capital PartnerssilverOthersHunt Capital Partners is a Silver-level sponsor of the USC Lusk Center. They support the Ross Program in Real Estate and the center's educational initiatives.
• Foundation for Affordable HousingbenefactorOthersFoundation for Affordable Housing is a Benefactor-level sponsor supporting the USC Lusk Center and Ross Program.
• American Realty AdvisorsbenefactorOthersAmerican Realty Advisors is a Benefactor-level sponsor of the USC Lusk Center.
• World BankpartnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Bank is a Partner-level sponsor, collaborating on the Way Forward initiative focused on unleashing housing sector potential for economic growth in emerging markets.
• United Nations Development ProgrammepartnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP is a Partner-level sponsor supporting the Way Forward initiative on housing's contribution to economic development in emerging markets.
• International Finance CorporationpartnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFC is a Partner-level sponsor collaborating on affordable housing initiatives through the Way Forward program.
• Habitat for Humanity's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in SheltersilverStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabitat for Humanity's TCIS is a Silver-level sponsor supporting innovation in affordable housing through the USC Lusk Center.
• AIA Los Angelesprogram affiliatesStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Los Angeles is a Program Affiliate collaborating on the Multifamily Forecast initiative and professional development.
• African Union for Housing FinancepartnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Union for Housing Finance is a Partner-level sponsor supporting affordable housing research and initiatives.
• Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in AfricapartnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa is a Partner-level sponsor collaborating on housing finance research in Africa.
• SoCal Premier Property ManagementsilverOthersSoCal Premier Property Management is a Silver-level sponsor supporting the Ross Program in Real Estate.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MIT Center for Real Estate: University-based real estate research and education center producing the MIT/CRE Real Estate Finance Symposium and research reports. Directly comparable to USC Lusk as an academic real estate research and degree-granting center within a leading university.
• Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics (UC Berkeley): UC Berkeley Haas-affiliated research center producing real estate and urban economics research. Closely comparable as a California-based academic real estate research and education center serving industry, faculty, and students.
• NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate: NYU's graduate real estate degree and research program producing industry research and executive education. Comparable as a leading university-based real estate education and applied research center with industry sponsorship.
• Columbia Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate: Columbia Business School's real estate research and education center. Directly comparable as a top-tier university real estate research center offering graduate programs, industry events, and applied research.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global, established real estate research and education membership organization. Comparable as a broader real estate industry research and convening organization with much wider scope and global footprint than USC Lusk.
• JLL Research: Commercial real estate services firm's research arm producing market outlooks across global metros. Comparable to USC Lusk's Casden Forecast as a real estate market research and forecasting function, but operating as part of a large commercial brokerage.
• CBRE Research: Global commercial real estate firm's research division producing market forecasts, trends reports, and thought leadership. Comparable as a commercial real estate market intelligence producer, though operating at much greater scale and commercial orientation than USC Lusk.
• Cushman & Wakefield Research: Commercial real estate services firm's research arm producing market reports including multifamily and investment trends. Comparable as a research-driven multifamily market intelligence source competing for industry mindshare alongside USC Lusk's Casden Forecast.
• National Association of Realtors (NAR) Research: Trade association producing real estate market statistics, research, and education. Comparable as a real estate industry research and education provider, with broader scope but overlapping audience and reporting cadence.

Others

• Watt Companies (Gold Sponsor): Diversified real estate investment and development firm that is a current Gold-level sponsor of USC Lusk. Comparable as an industry sponsor and ecosystem partner rather than a research peer, included because of the direct institutional relationship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/luskcenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL289FBCD406F5241F
• Facebookfacebook.com/luskcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usclusk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about USC Lusk Center for Real Estate