Arch to RE - Good Informational Interview Questions to Ask?
I'm going to graduate architecture school this Fall but I've recently have had a strong interest in pursuing a potential career in real estate development. I've been working full time as an architectural designer/project manager for the last 3 years while taking classes at night to get my degree.
My end goal would be to have my own (or have an ownership stake in a) design-development company; Urbanica in Boston, among others, seem to be making this model work well. Even being able to hire and work with architects would appease the part of me that wants to design... Not sure what position would ideally prepare me to do work like this considering my prior experience, jr dev analyst I am guessing?
I have networked like an MFer and have a a couple senior-level contacts who are in the industry that I plan on milking soon. I'm trying to figure out how to best frame conversations with them and see if there are any questions I might not think of that would be good to ask considering where I want to end up.
I'm in Boston, if that helps or affects anything.
Kind of hard to answer as I don't know what you do/don't know about the real estate business. Assuming you know very little outside of architecture I'd just try to learn anything from them that you don't currently understand without getting into too technical of a conversation.
When I am meeting with much more experienced people in the biz, I like to ask about how they got to where they are now, the attributes they think contributed to that success, what their favorite deal is/was, what they think of my plan for my RE career etc. There are definitely exceptions, but I'd say people like to talk about themselves and their accomplishments. Simple questions like these ones will get them talking, and they'll end up telling you much more than some simple answer typically.
I can read books about RE dudes all day and learn the stories about great deals/projects, but hearing firsthand the greatest accomplishments of the individuals in this business that don't have biographies are often pretty illuminating and inspiring.
If you like designing, why not try and become an architect at a developer? You'll get the best of both worlds and can eventually work your way up the ladder.
You may find more success breaking into development if you work as an architect for a couple of years first. Some firms will hire people with the right attitude, even if they lack experience, but this is relatively rare. If you work at a design firm for a while, and develop a good reputation with the client, they are much more likely to hire you or recommend you to their friends.
Hiring in this business is all about connections, more than in any other that I've experienced. You will need to build relationships in real estate, or it will be an uphill battle. Join your local ULI chapter, and find ways to actually work with developers. Good luck!
Thanks, this advice is really helpful. ULI is a great idea.
I've been working as an architect for a few years while in school but not with developer clients, just single family homes. I have a great relationship with those clients and have managed 6 projects from inception through completion. Would that much experience be enough to transition, or would working more (maybe at a bigger firm w/ developer clients) be advisable?
Who are the clients? If they are homeowners, then this experience is good for professional design experience, but not very good for a transition to development. You should focus on working for a firm that does lots of projects in whatever type of development you're most interested in. For example, if you want to do multifamily, go work for the best MF architect in your area. This will give you exposure to the best clients/developers.
Architecture is a part of development.
Find a dev shop that has in house architect guys or ones who come from that background and set up informational chats.
I'm wondering what the typical role is of an architect in an development office (is it mostly project management)? I'm going to see if I can find anyone in my alumni network to get in touch with. Thanks.
This role only exists in larger development companies, and even then design services are mostly externally contracted. I still think working for a prolific architect in your market will be a better way to make connections at a development firm.
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