Brokerage or institutional Internship?

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what I should do for my third-year summer internship. I've completed three internships in Accounting, Leasing, and now Asset Management, all with medium to large-size developers. I want to really take my experience to the next level and set myself up to work at a brokerage or large institution after graduating.

I've heard that brokerage internships can be quite bland and involve minimal work, but they offer the advantage of extensive networking opportunities. On the institutional side, I feel like I would gain more technical knowledge, but it seems more like back-office work.

What do you think would be the best path for growth in the early stages of my career?

Region
4 Comments
 

An institutional investment sales team doesn’t really need an intern. Interns are taken 80% of the time because theyre a client’s kid and as a trade it will result in them sending a deal our way soon(er). If you do end up on a broker team, your experience could vary wildly depending on the team. You can’t paint it with a wide brush. You might not expand your network at all, but could get great teaching from someone on the team. The opposite is also possible. Just wanted to clear the deck there

With that said, you should be asking yourself what you think you want to do when you graduate and that will guide better advice. What property type(s) are you interested in? Do you see yourself as a broker one day maybe? Do you want to be in asset manager? Etc etc. 

 

I'm considering a brokerage internship in investment sales, but an institutional internship would be either in Asset Management or Portfolio Management. I know it's much harder to transition from brokerage to institutional, which is why I'm leaning towards the institutional path.

Additionally, I like the volume of deals brokers see and the opportunity to build my own personal brand. However, the uncertainty of not making any money for two years in brokerage scares me. Institutional roles provide more safety and progression, but I'm still torn between the two options.

What are your thoughts?

 
Most Helpful

Numquam ullam voluptatem rerum architecto error quia voluptas. Nisi sit inventore voluptatem asperiores sed ut repudiandae. Ab beatae est ea ad magni molestiae minus. Voluptatem non libero et corrupti repellat in. Sed aut nihil iste quae beatae rerum. Ipsum et sapiente sint minus earum voluptatem quasi aut.

Cupiditate velit quibusdam pariatur pariatur natus sit et. Suscipit quos aut quis suscipit porro odio. Quis aut autem eveniet sit nisi. Qui ut beatae repudiandae itaque qui fugit. Nam quia pariatur qui nihil nostrum quo nesciunt. Sequi blanditiis quo ullam eaque voluptas in et.

Ipsa quo perspiciatis animi voluptate voluptatum. Qui quidem culpa inventore quis eos ad excepturi. In quis rerum veritatis consequatur non.

Soluta eos sed aut asperiores officia explicabo. Natus et ut provident quo. A voluptas repellendus praesentium.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”