By Nasha Dutta

Ted Rogers School of Management announced a notice of intent for a new master of real estate (MRE) program, a 12-month course-based master’s program set to launch in Fall 2028.

According to the notice, the proposal will be available online for customary review until Oct. 30, 2026. 

The notice also states the program will build on Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) real estate management (REM) undergraduate program while becoming the “only Canadian graduate real estate program with core courses in both real estate data analytics and emerging technologies.” 

The technologies listed in the notice include data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, geographic information systems and property technology. 

The program requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.33 over the last two years of study.

The MRE “aims to prepare the next generation of leaders for careers in Canada’s dynamic real estate markets and their growing international connections,” according to the university’s website.    

David Scofield, a professor of REM at TMU, is responsible for overseeing developments in the program’s proposal. He explained that the proposed program is designed to respond to several challenges facing the real estate industry. 

“We’re seeing a huge technology shift in terms of how real estate assets are valued, how leasing occurs, how financing occurs, how assets are managed and customer experience. All of this is being affected by new and emerging technologies,” he said in an interview with The Eyeopener. 

Scofield added that the MRE aims to respond to an industry demand for real estate professionals with a diversified skillset. He said the program does this by addressing the “gap in the market,” adding that there isn’t another Canadian program combining a focus on international real estate and emerging technologies. 

“The quality of work, the caliber of thinking and knowledge and critical reasoning is much higher at the graduate level than what we would typically be expecting at the undergraduate,” Scofield said. 

Alaleh Zarrinnia, a third-year REM student, believes the MRE would be a good way of “concluding” a real estate education. 

Zarrinnia told The Eye her program course selection feels incomplete, and she wishes she had an option to study certain topics in greater depth. 

She added that enrolling in the master’s program would bridge a gap between the undergraduate program and working in the industry.

“Real estate, there’s so much to it, and no matter how much you learn, it’ll never be enough because the market is constantly changing. That’s why it’s very good to not just do an undergrad, but also a master’s because you just want to learn more,” she said. 

Nicholas Mayer, another third-year REM student, said his interest in the program is based on whether TMU plans to partner with real estate companies in the future. 

“That would be my greatest, value proposition to it—is the relationships you would build,” he said. 

Mayer believes the program could also be beneficial for research purposes. 

“There will be a time where the research is also needed internally at these institutions. So people doing those master’s programs, I would look to them rather than someone that has been an analyst and an associate,” he said. 

Prasad Kadam, a real estate sales representative based in Toronto, said the growing use of AI is also changing how professionals compete in the industry. 

“[If they don’t integrate AI] they’ll just be behind in their marketing and manageable skills because nowadays the market is more competitive,” he said.

He added real estate agents need to stand out by creating content and keeping their work up to date, which AI can help them do. 

“If they don’t use AI, they can have their business, but it’ll be harder for them to compete in this cutthroat competition,” he said. 

Scofield said the importance of growing as a real estate professional lies in understanding different institutions and cultures that shape international real estate markets. 

“[It’s about] making sure we’ve got really internationally minded graduates who can function in Toronto and Canada and Vancouver, wherever, but also be equally at home if they’re based in Spain, or Seoul, South Korea,” Scofield said.