Career in real estate securities vs project-level investing

Was curious if experience as an analyst at a firm that invests in REITs is beneficial if my main goal is to work on project-level investing for an investment firm. Or I thought that was my main goal, but a position investing in REITs opened up my mind to consider other career paths in RE. What doors would be opened/what positions would be the next step after completing an analyst stint at a firm that invests in REITs? Thanks in advance guys!

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Best Response

Thanks for the feedback. I'm currently an analyst in CRE at a mid-market commercial bank. The position is at an asset management arm of a BB. So I guess my question is, would staying at my current job or trying to get into this new role better position me for future roles in real estate (on the equity investment side)? Also, the new role is in a major city, while I'm currently working in a small city, not sure if that makes a difference for future opportunities.

 

Others might disagree with me, but I used to think about this a lot, so here's my opinion ... My answer is that if I were you, I'd take it. It is very different from a hands-on equity job, yes, but you will get paid well, work with really fuckin' smart people, and understand this entire industry like the back of your hand ... much better than some dude on the ground in Tampa who went to UCF and has never left the country. You'll have prestigious wall street experience on your resume and you might decide to stay there and rake in the money, as many people do.

Later on you can always take a less sophisticated job at a crappy REIT that owns strip malls in Ohio.

 

Here is my 2 cents. I would suggest staying at your current firm and wait for an opening at an owner / operator that invests directly in real estate. Why go a securities route if you ultimately do not want to stay in that industry? You would be wasting valuable time that could be spent elsewhere. Hit the ground with networking, take an online excel / argus modeling course, broaden your job search to all markets. Don’t take a job to open up doors down the road, open up the doors for yourself now. It won’t be easy, but if you really want it you will make it happen.

 

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