Schack Institute Spotlight: Graduating Student Series – Viquar Chaudhry

Viquar Chaudhry is a candidate for the MS in Real Estate Development at the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate. He will graduate on May 19 and will serve as flag bearer during the Convocation ceremony. While at the Schack Institute of Real Estate, he collaborated with Professor Barry Hersh on the New York State Brownfield Partnership to analyze the Brownfield Cleanup Program. He also authored numerous articles on real estate, sustainability, tech, and the metaverse. Licensed in real estate since he was 18 years old, Chaudhry focuses on luxury real estate. He worked with prominent teams in the industry before venturing to start his own development brand.

What has been your favorite Schack Institute of Real Estate experience?
One of the best parts about the NYU SPS experience is the access to professional events, such as Schack’s Capital Markets Conference, Women in Real Estate Conference, and REIT Symposium, which has allowed me to meet industry leaders. I have always looked up to Larry Silverstein, Sam Zell, and Stephen Ross; these conferences offered a wonderful opportunity to see them in person!

Looking back on your time at Schack, of what are you most proud?
Sustainability and environmental consideration in real estate have become more important than ever before, and it is great to see proactive action. Barry Hersh, chair of Schack’s Real Estate Development program, and I worked diligently for many months on a research project for the New York City Brownfield Partnership. It involved analyzing the effectiveness of the Brownfield Remediation Program. Once we completed the study, it was published, and even quoted in the Daily News! I am very proud of seeing this come together and appreciated.

What was your favorite class and why? Favorite professors and why?
I enjoyed all my classes as each one complemented the other. My degree was structured in a way where I learned the acquisition, development, finance, construction, and marketing aspects of real estate for a well-rounded foundation. I made sure to research my professor’s experience before committing to their classes, and I think that was a good strategy! The best professors had real-world experience, day jobs, or prior accomplishments in the industry.

What is something you wish you had known when you started at the Schack Institute?
NYU SPS and the University as a whole are not just one individual school or discipline. There are so many resources at here for you to carve out your academic, social, and professional lives. At the least, you can try out many things to see what you like. I found that out halfway through my degree. I learned that I enjoy piano and ballroom dancing, which have nothing to do with real estate, but make up a good chunk of my social life.

What are your plans for after graduation?
NYU was always my dream school and I strived to be here. My story is not a straight path, but through sheer will and resilience, I moved forward. I was extremely sick during my youth and the doctors gave up; then I found my own cure. Around the time I started applying to college, my family business failed, and I could no longer afford school. So, I got licensed in real estate at 18 while pursuing a bachelor's in finance. Over time, I sold luxury real estate and was chosen by one of the largest teams in New York/New Jersey. Later, I joined a program with Goldman Sachs, solving complex organizational problems. Upon graduation, I’ll continue to build a personal portfolio. I’m in the process of deciding between going to a real estate division at an investment bank or working directly for a large-scale development company.