Buy-side or sell-side in Real Estate?

I am nearing the end of my SA gig at one of the top CRE sell-side shops (think Cushman/HFF/CBRE/Eastdil) on the east coast and am fairly confident that I'll be receiving an offer as a full-time analyst in the next 2 months.

I know that I 100% want to end up on the buy-side in REPE acquisitions, but I'm not sure if I should take the risk, deny an amazing offer, and start the recruiting process all over again. What do you guys think? Am I crazy to pursue the possibility of starting my career on the buy-side (in acquisitions), or should I just try to stick it out as an analyst for the first two years? I would hate to reject a great offer and then end up failing miserably recruiting for buy-side jobs.

9 Comments
 

You would have to find a pretty amazing job to beat out your current offer (unless you’re in one of HFFs tiny offices).

I would accept it and enjoy your senior year. You can leave after a year or two for some very impressive places. Ive found interviews for experienced hires to be much easier because you know you’ve always got your current job regardless of the outcome of the interview. I would go the route with less risk here. The first year or two after college will fly by, and pay is solid at both firms.

Array
 

Thank you immensely for the honest opinion -- I'm in located at the largest office at my firm. I think you're definitely right that I should just stick it out for a year or two. The pay all-in would be fairly equivalent to a BB IB analyst so definitely no complaints there.

It definitely doesn't make sense to go the riskier route. I guess I sort of just needed to hear it from someone else that it's not the smart decision.

 

@odc" I would say it depends on how bad you want it. Time is vicious when you take it for granted.

Big bodacious goals will get us to another galaxy.
 
Most Helpful

Et ad quis itaque odit esse et et nam. Explicabo voluptatibus voluptatem ducimus sint et reiciendis est.

Reprehenderit facilis sint quia sit. Et ipsam et illum deserunt aut.

Et sequi natus dolorem totam perspiciatis sed. Tempore voluptas dolorem illum et quaerat est sequi voluptatem. Illo molestiae quisquam impedit quo. Nisi esse molestias quibusdam at et. Doloremque blanditiis voluptatem eum quidem suscipit rerum magni. Ab vel doloribus eius distinctio voluptatem quod.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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

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...”