Teo Nicolais

AB '07

Teo Nicolais is a real estate entrepreneur who loves to teach. 

He’s an internationally recognized expert in real estate, advising on investment and development projects around the world and teaching real estate courses at Harvard University.

Nicolais holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College.

An active educator, Nicolais is a Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and an instructor at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, with three of his courses forming the foundation for Harvard Extension School’s Real Estate Investment Graduate Certificate. His real estate courses have drawn over 8,600 Harvard students to date.

For his teaching, Nicolais received the Joanna Fussa Distinguished Teaching Award and the Dean Michael Shinagel Award from Harvard Extension School.  He is also a two-time recipient of Harvard Extension Student Association's “Favorite Professor” award.

Nicolais is a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE), Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), and a Certified Property Manager (CPM), making him one of only 17 people worldwide to simultaneously hold all three designations, each representing a distinct area of real estate expertise.  

He serves on the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Board, the Board of Directors of the National Apartment Association (NAA), and the Institute of Real Estate Management’s (IREM) international Governing Council.

He is the founder and principal of Nicolais, LLC, a real estate investment company focused on multifamily investment properties.

Drawing from both industry experience and academia, Nicolais brings forward-looking insights to his real estate investing, consulting, and teaching, with a commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation in the field.