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USC Marshall Announces $10 Million Gift from Andrew Tavakoli to Establish Center for Real Estate

USC Marshall Announces $10 Million Gift from Andrew Tavakoli to Establish Center for Real Estate

As part of this gift, the Tavakoli Matching Challenge for Real Estate will inspire philanthropy and secure USC’s position as the premier center for real estate education, research, and innovation.

by: Bea Huff Hunter
03.04.25
Andrew Tavakoli

Andrew Tavakoli MS ’86

[Photo courtesy of Tavakoli]

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  • Geoffrey Garrett

    Geoffrey Garrett
    • Dean, USC Marshall School of Business
    • Robert R. Dockson Dean's Chair in Business Administration
    • Professor of Management and Organization
  • Chris Parsons

    Chris Parsons
    • Charles B. Thornton Professor of Finance
    • Professor of Finance and Business Economics

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The USC Marshall School of Business is launching a new global destination for aspiring real estate industry leaders, thanks to a $10 million transformational gift from Andrew Tavakoli. Tavakoli is CEO and Principal of Tavaco Properties and graduated from USC Marshall with a Master of Science in Business Administration in 1986. 

The Andrew Tavakoli Center for Real Estate at USC Marshall will leverage the school’s academic strengths, industry ties, and location in Southern California — a global incubator for real estate growth across sectors — to establish a vibrant hub where students, researchers, and industry leaders can connect and innovate to create a better and more sustainable urban future in Los Angeles and around the world. Tavakoli’s gift will create a real estate chair, an endowed scholarship, and matching funds to boost support for USC Marshall's real estate programs.

“The real estate industry is vast, complex, and rapidly evolving,” Tavakoli said. “The next generation of leaders in this field must master their specific niches while also understanding broader market dynamics. The center will serve as a gateway to these diverse opportunities. Those who are certain they want to pursue a career in real estate will know where to go and will have multiple pathways to choose from.”

The real estate industry is integral to the economic health, cultural vibrancy, and sustainability of Los Angeles, making it a key sector for development and innovation and a focal point for President Carol Folt’s sustainability moonshot.

“Sustainability has been one of my top priorities since day one, and partners like Andrew help USC move the needle forward and stay innovative,” said President Folt. “This gift seamlessly connects our students’ success with building a resilient, sustainable and economically viable future for Los Angeles.”

The center will enhance USC Marshall’s thought leadership in real estate by helping attract and retain top-tier faculty and by powering groundbreaking research. New scholarships will lighten financial burdens for the most promising students in real estate while real-world learning opportunities will bridge theory and practice, paving the way for students to launch successful careers in real estate.

“Real estate is at the core of modern life, for individuals, for cities and for economies all around the world, and there has never been a more important time for creative thinking and action on urban futures,” USC Marshall Dean Geoff Garrett said. “Andrew has long been a champion of the real estate communities in Los Angeles and at USC. With his visionary support, our goal at USC Marshall is to establish the center as a true global leader in one of the most important and dynamic sectors the world over.”

As real estate technology — also known as “proptech” (property technology) — accelerates, the industry is seeing rapid adoption of AI and machine learning, including AI tools for property value estimation, blockchain technology to enhance transaction security, and big data for real estate customer analytics. The Tavakoli Center will build on the success of the USC Marshall Real Estate Analytics Lab (REAL) to capitalize on proptech’s limitless potential.

By working with top USC faculty and industry leaders, we’ll elevate and showcase the preeminent real estate center in the country, bar none.

— Andrew Tavakoli

MS ’86 / CEO and Principal of Tavaco Properties

“Andrew Tavakoli’s visionary gift will supercharge our efforts to transform data into insights, fostering collaboration and innovation in real estate analytics to create outcomes that benefit business and society,” said Chris Parsons, the Charles B. Thornton Professor of Finance. “The entire REAL team is thrilled to become part of the Tavakoli Center and stimulate even greater dialogue on real estate topics among students, alumni, investors, and policymakers.”

Tavakoli, a proud USC alum and member of the USC Marshall Board of Councilors, has paid forward his success to support arts, education, health care, and civic organizations in Southern California and nationwide. At USC Marshall, he has previously co-established the Cyrus the Great Chair in Timeless Leadership and provided an endowment for the Master of Business for Veterans (MBV) program.

To inspire further philanthropy, Tavakoli’s gift also establishes the Tavakoli Matching Challenge for Real Estate: new donor gifts to create an endowed scholarship, chair, research fund, or experiential learning fund will receive a one-to-one match to double their impact. The strategic investment will create a holistic support system for the Tavakoli Center and cultivate the next generation of real estate leaders.

“I am grateful to President Folt and Dean Garrett for their commitment to elevating real estate at USC. The University will become the go-to resource for recruiting market-responsive graduates,” said Tavakoli. “By working with top USC faculty and industry leaders, we’ll elevate and showcase the preeminent real estate center in the country, bar none.”

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