Course Description

This course examines how real estate decisions are actually made, not how they are described in reports or marketing decks. It focuses on the social and governance forces that shape housing outcomes, workforce systems, data risk, and long-term asset value.

Rather than treating impact as an add-on, the course centers accountability, institutional power, and tradeoffs. Students learn to read policies, governance structures, and incentives to understand why well-intentioned projects fail and why others endure. The goal is clarity, not ideology, and practical judgment in complex, real-world decisions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain how governance structures, policy frameworks, and institutional incentives shape real estate outcomes
  • Distinguish between stated intentions and actual impacts in housing, workforce, and community decisions
  • Evaluate social risk and accountability in real estate projects using structured analytical frameworks
  • Identify who holds decision-making power in development, investment, and operations, and who does not
  • Assess tradeoffs in affordability, accessibility, workforce development, and data protection
  • Apply governance and social frameworks to real-world real estate cases and investment decisions
  • Communicate complex social and governance risks clearly to investors, policymakers, and stakeholders

Course Curriculum

    1. HEADS-UP and STRIVE: Frameworks for People and Power

    2. Real Estate ESG Lessons, Challenges and Opportunities

    1. Global Goals and Local Tradeoffs

    2. The Paris Agreement and the Limits of Consensus

    3. Diverse Valid Opinions

    1. ESG, CSR, and the Problem of Purpose

    2. Materiality and Metrics

    3. Reporting Standards and Rating Tools

    4. Office Sector Materiality

    5. What the Free Market Solves, and What It Doesn’t

    1. The Social Pillar

    2. The Foundation of US Social Policies

    3. Modern Era US Social Policies

    4. Socially Responsible Investing in Real Estate

    5. Placemaking, Placekeeping, and Social Impact Assessments

    6. Affordable Housing

    7. Senior Housing

    8. Accessible Housing

    9. Workforce Development

    10. Privacy and Cybersecurity

    1. The Governance Pillar

    2. Governance Structures

    3. Governance Tools Metrics and Principles

    4. DEI in Real Estate

    5. Governance Challenges and Innovation
  • $199.00
  • 25 lessons
  • 3.5 hours of video content

Who Should Enroll

This course is designed for professionals and advanced learners working in or around real estate who need to understand how decisions translate into real outcomes.

It is particularly relevant for real estate investors, developers, asset managers, planners, policymakers, consultants, and graduate students who want to move beyond surface-level frameworks and evaluate social and governance risks with clarity and judgment.

This course is not intended as an introduction to sustainability concepts. It is for those who already operate within complex systems and want a sharper lens on accountability, power, and long-term value.

Format

The course is delivered as a structured on-demand video series. Each session builds on the previous one, combining frameworks, case analysis, and applied examples drawn from real-world real estate contexts.

Videos are designed to be concise and cumulative, allowing participants to progress at their own pace while engaging deeply with the material. Full transcripts are provided to support review, reference, and practical application over time.

The format is designed for working professionals who need rigor without abstraction and insight without unnecessary complexity.