Navy Real Estate (RE) is responsible for the acquisition, management, and disposal of all Navy real property interests. As Department of Defense priorities evolve, RE responds by finding opportunities to enhance mission readiness, improve and maintain the condition of Navy property and infrastructure assets, and reduce inefficiencies within the Navy real estate portfolio.

Since 2023, Emax has supported Navy RE across a broad set of mission-critical initiatives—including identifying underutilized assets and installation needs, evaluating opportunities for real property transactions, coordinating with public and private sector stakeholders, and supporting program-level policy updates. Emax’s work strengthens RE’s ability to plan, negotiate, and evaluate high-impact real estate solutions aligned with emerging Navy priorities. 

Challenge 

Navy RE operates in a dynamic environment marked by rising repair and maintenance costs, shifting priorities, aging infrastructure, and limited availability of funding to meet installation needs. RE requires the ability to pursue advanced real estate transactions that: 

• Improve or maintain condition of property and infrastructure assets 

• Balance interests of public, private sector, and community stakeholders 

• Deliver value to the Navy through cost avoidance, revenue generation, or in-kind services 

• Reduce the operational burden of unused property or infrastructure 

• Comply with complex legal authorities and policy requirements

Key challenges include: 

• Evolving legal authorities and funding mechanisms requiring continuous interpretation and adaptation. 

• Growing complexity in real estate partnerships, including energy, infrastructure, and mission-aligned commercial opportunities. 

• Increased demand for leadership-ready insights, including strategy briefings, policy evaluations, and project-level decision support. 

To meet these challenges, RE needed integrated analytical, legal, and transactional support to evaluatexecute advanced real estate transactions concepts and modernize program-wide processes. 

Approach 

Emax provided Navy RE with a multi-disciplinary support model, enabling both program-level modernization and project-level execution. 

1. Conceptual Design and Opportunity Identification 

• Identified and evaluated opportunities to enhance mission readiness and create value for the Navy through real estate transactions

• Developed briefings, whitepapers, and business case analyses weighing the feasibility of disposition opportunities, quantified possible benefit to the Navy, pinpointed potential risks, and provided recommendations 

• Supported the initial phases of real estate transactions by preparing marketing materials, identifying installation needs, facilitating stakeholder outreach, and organizing reviewing proposals.

2. Legal and Policy Analysis 

• Researched and interpreted relevant legal authorities to support new and ongoing project actions. 

• Evaluated policy implications for innovative concepts and prepared recommended updates or clarifications. 

• Provided legal/policy support for leadership decision-making and stakeholder coordination. 

3. Funding Mechanism and Financial Analysis 

• Assessed existing and emerging funding mechanisms applicable to Navy real estate transactions. 

• Analyzed constraints, flexibility, and application pathways to enable best-value outcomes. 

• Supported alignment of funding approaches with project-specific and enterprise-wide priorities. 

4. Systems Development and Program Process Improvements 

• Supported development and refinement of RE program systems and workflows. 

• Introduced process improvements to capture lessons learned and institutionalize best practices. 

• Strengthened governance structures and documentation to enhance consistency and transparency across RE programs. 

5. Leadership Communication and Strategic Support 

• Prepared leadership briefings, white papers, and decision materials for both programmatic and project-specific issues. 

• Supported rapid-turn requests, addressing emerging questions on legal authorities, transaction structures, or program direction. 

• Ensured senior leaders had actionable, analytically supported insights to guide strategic real estate decisions. 

Impact 

Emax’s support has strengthened Navy RE’s ability to deliver advanced, mission-aligned real estate solutions. Key outcomes include: 

• Clearer understanding of legal authorities and policy frameworks, supporting both project decisions and program-level updates. 

• Better alignment of funding mechanisms with complex project needs through structured financial and risk analysis. 

• Stronger organizational learning, enabled by lessons-learned integration and system/process updates across the RE program. 

• More effective leadership engagement, through briefing materials that translate complex issues into strategic decision-ready content. 

Through this work, Emax has helped Navy RE strengthen its capacity to innovate, identify, and govern real estate transactions—advancing the Navy’s long-term mission, infrastructure resilience, and strategic real property management.