UBLMLW-30-M Real Estate Investment and Development Component B1 Brief 2025-26 | UWE

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Apply the economics of land value creation through development activity and evaluate the economic constraints under which development decisions are taken.  Critically discuss conceptual models of the planning and development process, including the activities, elements, skills and research intelligence involved 

2. Identify and appraise potential development opportunities and propose optimum development strategy through the utilisation of economic concepts and planning policy and the critical application of a range of practical development appraisal techniques. 

3. Compare UK and international fiscal instruments and examine their impact on the  development process and how associated risks can be managed

UBLMLW-30-M Completing your Assessment

What am I required to do on this assessment? 

Purpose

The coursework is intended to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate understanding and integration of the various aspects of the programme and this module.

The aim is to undertake a real estate development appraisal by applying real estate development and planning principles and using the parameters provided in the brief.

The Brief:

Scenario

In reaction to the uncertainty and volatility of the stock market in the UK and other economies following the COVID pandemic, high inflation, and rising interest rates, the board of directors of the New Universities Pension Fund has decided to allocate a specific block of capital to a real estate-based fund. This fund will be split into two separate parts, namely, 1) development and 2) investment.

You have been appointed as the head of the New Universities Pension Fund and have been tasked by the board to advise them on both the investment and development aspects of the Fund. Your task is to produce two (2) separate reports, i.e., one relating to investment and the other relating to development. Each report should contain a separate ONE-page executive summary.

Element 1: The Development Report

You must carry out a “Site and Development Appraisal” to establish the residual land value of a site of your choice.

• The site should be developed as a mixed-use development, containing both residential and commercial property.
• The gross development value should be at least £30 million (£60 million if the chosen site is in Greater London). There is no maximum GDV, but students are encouraged to keep the size manageable (If your chosen site is very big, you can just develop a portion of it).
• The development should contain both tenures: owner-occupancy as well as rental properties.
• If relevant to the size of the site, there should be sufficient space for water, green areas and road infrastructure.
• Your RLV should consider section 106 agreement contributions as well as community infrastructure levy (when applicable in your area).
• You can pick any site you want, but you are advised to use the local council’s website to find a strategic housing document. If your site is in Bristol, you could refer to the “Bristol City Council Housing Land Supply Assessment” or the old “Bristol SHLAA” for pockets of land that have development potential. If your site is outside Bristol, try to find a similar document from the Local Council.

The Site and Development Appraisal

You must prepare a written report based on primary and secondary sources of information relating to a site. This part of the report should be 2,500 words and must explain and justify the land bid price for the site as part of the assessment for its viability.

The report should address three key areas:

1. The methodology outlining how the appraisal was undertaken.
2. The data section that includes the site appraisal, planning section, product mix, market research and analysis, financial appraisal, sensitivity analysis, and
3. Results and conclusion.

Where should I start?

You need to start by identifying a site. This can be done by looking at the Land availability assessment for the local authority where the site you are interested in is located.

What do I need to get a Pass?

To be awarded a pass, submissions should:

• Carry out a development appraisal and prepare a land bid (Residual Land Valuation - RLV), and explain what this means concerning viability. This will be demonstrated by using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, which have to be submitted alongside the MS Word document.
• Demonstrate that they recognise the importance of appropriate planning policy and other frameworks that might impinge on a site's development potential.
• Search, identify and use relevant research evidence together with relevant theories and concepts to demonstrate understanding and application.
• Present findings effectively in the form of a prepared written report supported with tabulated and graphically presented data and information.
• Support their arguments with evidence, analysis and calculations.
•  Reference sources and material used to draw up the report (use the UWE Harvard referencing system).

How do I achieve high Marks in this Assessment?

To be awarded a distinction, submissions should:

• Demonstrate all of the criteria required for a pass and;
• Be presented professionally using supporting graphics, tables and appropriate images.
• Provide detailed connections between the site appraisal, planning requirements and site viability.
• Extended the static appraisal by using cash flows.
• Undertake a detailed and in-depth analysis of the viability of the site and what impact some key inputs have on the appraisal.

How does the Learning and Teaching relate to the Assessment?

This coursework aims to assess your knowledge of how real estate development and planning fundamentals can be used in undertaking a site and development appraisal.

UBLMLW-30-M Marks and Feedback

Your assessment will be marked according to the assessment criteria. You can use these to evaluate your own work before you submit it.

1. In line with UWE Bristol’s Assessment Content Limit Policy (formerly the Word Count Policy), word count includes all text, including (but not limited to): the main body of text (including headings), all citations (both in and out of brackets), text boxes, tables and graphs, figures and diagrams, quotes, lists.
2. UWE Bristol’s Assessment Offences Policy requires that you submit work that is entirely your own and reflects your own learning, so it is important to:

• Ensure you reference all sources used, using the UWE Harvard system and the guidance available on UWE’s Study Skills referencing pages.
• Avoid copying and pasting any work into this assessment, including your own previous assessments, work from other students or internet sources
• Develop your own style, arguments and wording, so avoid copying sources and changing individual words, but keep, essentially, the same sentences and/or structures from other sources
• Never give your work to others who may copy it
• If an individual assessment, develop your own work and preparation, and do not allow anyone to make amends on your work (including proof-readers, who may highlight issues but not edit the work), and

When submitting your work, you will be required to confirm that the work is your own, and text-matching software and other methods are routinely used to check submissions against other submissions to the university and internet sources. Details of what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it can be found on UWE’s Study Skills pages about avoiding plagiarism.