Auditor looking to transition into CRE Finance

I am currently at auditor at a bank. Have six years of experience and soon to be CPA, but looking to transition into RE.

I have accounting and finance degrees so am familair with basic modeling/forecasting concepts, but am a bit rusty and do not have any professional experience. Ideally would like to be a GP or a developer at some point, but would settle for anything in advisory, valuation, or equity that makes good money. Not looking for any roles in sales or debt.

Have family in RE so understand basic concepts like NOI, Cap Rate, etc.

Located in Charlotte

What types of jobs should I be looking for? After some prelimary research I am leaning towards valuation at Big Four or an analyst position

Any thoughts?

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So, your type of experience will have most carry over value into asset management and capital markets (from the buy-side view). Not to say you couldn't do/learn/get hired in acquisitions or development, but those are more "jumps" than the others. 

I guess I see you having two broad "options"

1. Go for a role that takes your value/experience into account (I'd guess the big 4 valuation fits this), and try to jump at equal-ish level. BUT, this may keep you doing some things you may not like like and may feel some "middle to back office" type duties (you will prob interview well for FP&A I'd guess, and certainly fund/project accounting). Asset Mngt may be the sweet spot, totally front-office lots of upside moves and good pay. And AM will respect you with a CPA and value that experience. 

2. Go for broke and make a clean exit... Like go for a direct RE job in development or acquisitions or anything that basically goes in the direction you want but may not value your prior skills (which may make you happier....). In this role, be prepared to take "step down" in title/rank and pay could be worse at first. People do this, and this is harder per se (gotta network hard on this one). Long-term maybe the better route, but really hard to say, if you go with the above you could be a CFO before you know it (esp. if you finish the CPA), go this route and you are in the pack with the crowd.....

hope this helps! 

 

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