The Runstad Department for Real Estate was established in 2002 and was a key milestone in the development of real estate education and research at the University of Washington. Its mandate today is to provide thought leadership in real estate. This is achieved through a wide variety of means. The Department provides extensive industry support to the students on the MSRE Program in the Department of Real Estate. The Department also acts as the focal point of our applied research program. This comprises of the applied research of both the Center itself as well as the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, disseminating academic work to an industry audience and the convening of a wide range of events and forums or the discussion of topical issues. The Runstad Department of Real Estate also brings together UW faculty, industry leaders and students via the Runstad Fellows Program.