RE2ENT: Real Estate Entrepreneurship and Technology

Module code: RE2ENT

Module provider: Real Estate and Planning; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Matteo Borghi, email: m.borghi4@henley.ac.uk

Additional teaching staff 1: Mr Kee Liang Chin, email: kl.chin@henley.edu.my

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE RE1PROJ (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This is a dynamic module introducing students to key concepts of business start-up to support them to become disruptors in the real estate sector. Students will be trained in applying key concepts and practical tools derived from entrepreneurial management including design thinking, business model creation, entrepreneurial finance and marketing. They will also be briefed on a range of technological trends, including the responsible use of AI, which are transforming economies and societies. Students will then be required to apply the entrepreneurial skills they have learned to develop their understanding of these trends, to enable them to succeed in delivering beneficial change in a real estate business environment. The key objective is to support the students in developing a business idea that will disrupt existing practices in real estate. 

The first part of the module focuses on developing students’ understanding of disruptive trends and their ability to think creatively for developing a disrupting business proposition, the second part is focused on supporting students’ business idea generation through a series of mentoring sessions.

The module lead at the University of Reading Malaysia is Mr Kee Liang Chin.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Describe, discuss and appraise: the process of business start-ups; the nature and significance of enterprise and entrepreneurial development; entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship; 
2. Evaluate a range of technological trends, which have the potential to transform the real estate industry, and to value flexibility and a readiness to accommodate change; 
3. Develop a business idea into a venture plan for a real estate related business leveraging technology; 
4. Explain financial reporting processes including cash flows. 

Module content

• Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial process; 
• Project Management and team management. 
• Opportunity identification and evaluation 
• Business models, business model canvas, business model patterns. 
• Lean start-up, validation experiments, customer research. 
• Ideation and design thinking  
• Evaluation of desirability, viability and feasibility 
• Marketing strategy 
• Key technological trends 
• Presenting the business idea 
• Financial Reporting, cashflow, cost & profit, pricing strategies. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module uses a combination of academic study and experiential learning. Teamwork is central to many of the module’s activities. Students will be matched into teams at the beginning of the module. Sessions are comprised of a combination of formal lectures, seminars, interactive group work, individual activities, presentations and student presentations. Following the ideation and lean start-up workshops, student teams will plan their new business ventures. In the final phase of their projects, drop-in sessions/mentoring with core teaching staff will replace classroom activity. 

For students studying at our campus in Malaysia: This module may be taught in a different semester and the breakdown of study hours may differ to those set out in the Study Hours table (please refer to the Module Handbook for the correct breakdown). In addition, you will be required to complete an additional 40 hours of study, taking the total number of study hours to 240 for this module. This is to comply with the Malaysian Quality Agency (MQA).

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback in the module will be provided by surgeries/mentoring sessions designed to support the students in the group work as they develop their ideas for pitching to the investors. Feedback from the investors will be given through surgeries after the group event.

Reassessment

Additional costs