The Institute has officially been renamed the NUS Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies (IREUS) with effect from February 2018. The addition of the word ‘Urban’ into the previously known ‘Institute of Real Estate Studies’ (IRES) has important implications for the future strategies and development of IREUS.

The new IREUS name reflects the broad realities of the real estate field that extends beyond what the term ‘real estate’ may suggest. It affords the appropriate emphasis to the study of urban issues in the broader context of cities and the built environment, and enables the community at large to view real estate from a more holistic perspective.

However, the original motives of setting up this university-level research institute have not deviated following the name change. IREUS continues to strive to advance multidisciplinary research in the fields of real estate and urban studies. It relentlessly pushes the frontiers of knowledge through the publication of cutting-edge and industry relevant research in the areas ranging from real estate finance, housing policies and economics, to urban sustainability and land markets.

IREUS identifies four broad themes in its research roadmap to achieve research excellence. The first three themes are: Real Estate Finance and Innovations, Housing Policies and Economics, and Urban Sustainability and Land Markets. The fourth theme, Real Estate Technologies and Big Data, is an encompassing theme that cuts across the first three research themes. The institute is also motivated to undertake Singapore-focused research using micro-data sets and various policy experiments.

By actively engaging the industry in a spectrum of outreach activities, research collaborations and exchange of research insights, IREUS will continue to stay relevant and become a leading research institute with a global presence.