Best path in real estate if WLB doesn’t matter

Hey All,

As the title suggests, trying to figure out what is the best career path to success in RE if work life balance is not a concern. I want to focus on maximizing my earning potential and was wondering if it is a reasonable to make the same as other high finance roles while working in RE if you are willing to put in the same hours. I don’t have a problem working 80 hour weeks but what I don’t know is where in RE do I go that makes you work those hours and pays that money.

Would really appreciate some advice on it.

12 Comments
 
_navyisland

Are you saying that it’s not possible to pull in the same kind of money in real estate ?

Yes, go work in IBD if you don't care about friends, family, relationships or your own health. 

You'll realise when you mature at least one of those things are important.

Or work for a citadel/millennium but you're probably not the right candidate. 

 

80 hour weeks might sound "doable" to your underdeveloped brain right now, but when you actually start working you will suffer through every single second of it and sooner rather than later start to question why you are doing this to yourself in the first place. For a couple of grand more a month? For "prestige"? Best case you take an "earnings hit" and change to a more sustainable job, worst case you walk away with major physical ailments (got too fat/lost your hair due to stress and lack of sleep/exercise) or develop actual brain damage ie depression.

To answer your actual question: Your best bet will be looking at firms like BX, Oaktree, Starwood, KKR etc. Rule of thumb is basically the higher the comp for first years the more your life will suck. Or, if you really are dead set on making money in RE you could start out at a local developer and learn how to actually source plots, manage construction idiots and finish a building and start your own firm in 5-10 year. Because that is where the real money is made. You'll also realize that RE is a lot less about running numbers through a spreadsheet/modeling and more about building relationships with reliable subs and local politicians/committees.

 

 is it right to say that without prior IB experience it would be hard to get into these shops

y

It'll be a tough sell in general if you have no finance experience. If you play your cards right you can maybe build some connections during your msre and land a role at some other "lesser" shops after, work for 3-5 years and try again leveraging your experience and network.It ofc depends on where you actually want to work (Texas? northeast?) and which school are doing it at. 

 
Most Helpful

Most here who are trying to discourage his thinking just have different opinions than him. If he "figures it out" later, that's fine, it's his choice, but you can't tell him he's objectively wrong for chasing money at the expense of WLB, especially if the plan is to use that money later to start his own shop or something. None of us have any idea what his thoughts/ambitions are, just answer the question and stop telling him he's "wrong" for pursuing this. 

Note: I'm not talking to the ones who just said they wouldn't go that route or that IB pays more, IMO fine to share your own experience or give objective facts like IB pays more. 

Don't @ me
 

Inventore ipsam temporibus a vel quibusdam adipisci laboriosam. Placeat unde id est rem dolorem asperiores. Eos aut eum corrupti magni earum. Blanditiis sequi quis vitae nesciunt non dolorem. Facere rerum modi suscipit totam voluptatem. Eos expedita at et enim quis. Enim est eos qui qui aperiam in sint nostrum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (45) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”