Utah State LAEP Students Excel at Utah Real Estate Challenge

Two teams that brought together the skills of Utah State University Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) and Jon M. Huntsman School of Business (USU Huntsman) students showcased their talent and ingenuity in the 2025 Utah Real Estate Challenge, securing impressive wins including the competition’s grand prize of $20,000.

The Utah Real Estate Challenge (UREC) is a semester-long intercollegiate competition that invites undergraduate and graduate students from across Utah to develop and present innovative real estate proposals around a specific location. The competition provides a platform for students to gain valuable experience by preparing and pitching development plans to a panel of judges who are real estate professionals. Both of the top USU teams brought together design-focused LAEP students with USU Huntsman finance and real estate students, mimicking real-world interdisciplinary collaboration.

The competition is organized in the University of Utah Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center and also supported by industry sponsors, mentors, judges, and faculty from participating schools.

UREC has been a staple of the LAEP’s E-Studio/Entrepreneurship in Planning and Design class for many years. Several USU teams entered the competition, initially submitting five-page proposals in the first round. From there, the top three teams advanced to the finals, and invested many hours over the following four weeks to refine the design, construction, and financial aspects of the project and expand their proposals into comprehensive 25-page business plans and presentations. Impressively, USU LAEP/Huntsman teams earned two of the three spots in the final competition.

The Atlas Development Group, comprised of LAEP students Jessica Zuban and Calli Glazier, and USU Huntsman students Brandon Reese, Dawson Kearns, and Raef Thomas, presented a visionary proposal called WestEnd—an affordable mixed-use residential development for teachers adjacent to West High School in Salt Lake City.

"It was a big undertaking," Zuban reflected. "A lot of hours were spent designing a building and its landscaping in a 3D model, which resulted in realistic renderings and a short film showcasing our proposal. It was also a highly collaborative process with the finance team, where each member trusted the others’ expertise."

Meanwhile, the ACOTA Group, with LAEP students Avery Albright, Olivia Gillette, and Christopher Wilson, and USU Huntsman students Tyler Hopkin and Austin Keller, designed a mixed-use development centered around an active adult (55+) community and a gourmet market.

The final presentations were the centerpiece of the UREC Banquet in Salt Lake City, where teams were judged on their business plans, presentations, and an audience vote. The Atlas Development Group emerged victorious, securing the grand prize of $20,000 for their innovative proposal. The ACOTA Group also excelled, earning third place and a $5,000 prize.

This achievement highlights the exceptional creativity and collaboration of USU’s LAEP and real estate and finance students, demonstrating their readiness to tackle real-world challenges in real estate development.

"This experience has shown me that the years I've spent developing my technical skills really paid off," Zuban shared. "Being able to produce high-quality renderings proves the value I can bring to a company and illustrates to clients what I'm capable of, especially when I start my own company one day."