Real estate chair at Lincoln?

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 59

Real estate chair at Lincoln?

The projected establishment of a chair in real estate, and possibly valuation, at Lincoln College is evidence of the increasingly professional nature of the industry in New Zealand. The Council of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand is believed to have recently entered into negotiation with Lincoln College staff about the proposed chair.

The discussions are part of what has proved to be a very active year for the R.E.I.N.Z. A comprehensive statistical analysis service has been launched, the decision made to sell the Institute property in Auckland, and finally the deci-

sion to establish the chair in real estate and valuation. These three developments all received coverage in the June, 1987, edition of the R.E.I.N.Z. magazine, “New Zealand Real Estate.” The proposed chair in real estate is mentioned in the report from Mr Eric Keys, Executive Director of the R.E.I.N.Z. His report reveals that the idea of setting up a chair in real estate was first raised by past president, Mr Merv Neill, in 1978. The proposed site was to be Massey University. At that time the idea did not prove popular enough to proceed

and the matter was allowed to lapse.

The idea has come into favour again this decade and came a step closer to fruition this year when the R.E.I.N.Z. and the Lincoln College staff agreed to begin negotiating the establishment of the chair. It is believed that the members of the Valuers Institute are currently considering the new chair also. “The establishment of this chair could assist in the exchange of top academics in the field of real estate between U.S.A, and New Zealand,” the “New Zealand Real Estate” article said.

The department resulting from the setting up of the chair would also be involved in the holding of seminars and production of educational material for the institute.

Lincoln College could also provide a venue to “promote a real estate research centre to develop reliable and co-ordinated statistics on property in New Zealand.”

Such a programme is believed to be a first in Australasia. The moves toward the setting up of the chair are further evidence of the increasingly professional and scientific nature of real estate industry operations.