Break into CRE from military

Background:
5.5 years as an Army Engineer officer (will have 8 at end of contract). The majority of my work experience is in construction management/ contract management for projects ranging between $500k- $70M.

Undergrad: Civil Engineering- West Point GPA ~2.5

Certificates:
-Engineer in Training (passed first series in tests to earn professional engineer cert)
-is a PE cert relevant in land development?
-eCornell Grad certificate in Commercial Real Estate

2 plans to break into CRE:
Plan 1 (FT MBA at a T25): study for a +700 GMAT and attend a 2 year FT program directly after leaving the military using GI Bill. Will most likely attend a program in TX. Work as a post MBA associate for 2-3 years then relocate to Seattle, WA. Even with a high GMAT I don’t anticipate being competitive for an M7 or T10 and don’t have plans to work for a top firm in NYC etc.

Plan 2 (Georgetown MSRE online): use my GI bill to complete the Georgetown MSRE during my last two years in service and then complete the A. CRE accelerator course. I plan to complete a DOD sponsored internship for 3 months with a small firm in the Austin, TX area. Then move to Seattle, WA and try to secure an analyst position in acquisitions, asset management, or land development. Then attend a PT MBA if necessary after working for two years to be competitive for associate or higher (will pay out of pocket).

Long term career goal: I have one industrial warehouse in Houston, TX and plan to us that as a launch point (either 1031 exchange or sell and invest as an LP)to build a portfolio of CRE to eventually run my own family firm. I plan on gaining experience working industry for 10 years before pivoting to pursue entrepreneurship.

Opinions/ analysis: are either of my plans tenable? Is one better than the other in terms of risk and reward given my long term goals. What risks have I not accounted for?

Thank you!

 

Rerum qui doloribus soluta adipisci. Nesciunt alias rem optio. Necessitatibus dolorem ipsum rerum ut rerum.

Maxime cumque nobis a delectus sed qui. Voluptatem ipsum rerum quis excepturi culpa iure quia. Rem vel molestias voluptas nihil temporibus quia.

Eos sapiente porro quia aut accusamus est. Mollitia molestias iusto laboriosam unde quia quia eius. Quia consectetur nisi corrupti velit. Aut nihil molestiae ut provident earum aliquam.

Repellat illo enim tempore. Ipsam alias quia mollitia rerum dolore voluptas sapiente qui. Numquam voluptatibus eos odit ad.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”