CRE Comp Progression

Let’s see what CRE comp progression looks like for everyone. I’ll start:

HCOL (not NYC, please specify if NYC since it pays substantially more in CRE)

Base & Bonus

Lending Credit Analyst - Year 1: $50k

Brokerage Senior Analyst - Year 2 (new company): $95k

Principal Side Associate - Year 3 (new company): $150k

101 Comments
 
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Doubt it, my firm is small. I ask friends for comp and I think many top REPE or debt fund pays in the $250-$300k range for associates. Eg the top firms, excluding the strangely high-paying firms like Baupost, blackstone, starwood, Oaktree, etc
 

Like CIM and Angelo Gordon are a couple others I know that pay that level. These firms all decide comp based on the same surveys / talk to each other so it makes sense that they pay similar 

 

Base plus bonus below  HCOL  

0 (full commission role) 

70+25 

73+27

78+30 

mid year raise to 90

promotion 3 months later to 100 

general raise cycle gets me to 105 

switching teams internally 2 months later gets me to 120 

new job: 120+65 + carry worth about $110K total. Would pay in 5 or so years. Basically counted it as zero  

new job: 150+55 

160+60 

170 + tbd 

 

Yr 1: $65k + $10k

Yr 2: $70k + $20k

Yr 2 (New Job midway through year)): $90k + $25k

Yr 3: $100k + $25k

Yr 4 (New Job): $90k + $25k + promote (didn't end up paying out this year)

Yr 5: $90k + $10k + promote (didn't pay, no salary increase and bonus was low because of COVID)

Yr 6: $120k + $25k + promote (paid $15k this year)

Yr 7: $160k + $100k + promote (will pay $80k this year)

 
Most Helpful

MCOL City, 2020 grad:

Job 1 (analyst level, non-RE role): 

  • Y0: 77k + 5k signing + 2k stub / TC ~85k
  • Y1: 85k + 15% target bonus / TC ~100k
  • Hypothetical Y2 TC would have been ~115k, Y3 ~130k 

Job 2 (roughly Sr Asso level in strategy-esque role at a bank, switched mid year)

  • Y0: 130k + 20k bonus / TC 150k
  • Y1: 143k + 15% target +  ~7k in equity/bonuses (left before some vested) / TC ~170k 
  • Hypothetical Y2 TC would have been ~180k, Y3 ~190k 

Job 3 (switched late year at approx senior analyst level to a big RE investment shop)

  • Y0: 95k + 15k signing + 10k bonus / TC ~120k
  • Y1: 103k + expecting 20-25k end of year bonus / TC ~125k
  • Hypothetical Y2 comp should come in somewhere around 150-160k I believe, Y3 will be mid 200s assuming promotion 

Jumped around a few roles after college before I found something I was passionate about. Did well in those previous roles (old bosses still joke about bringing me back), but just was bored with the work, even if it paid well and was a better WLB. Happy now as I am in a fun (for me) role with a good mentor and lots of visibility.

 

First Job (JLL/CBRE; LCOL market)
•    2018: $48k + $7k bonus
•    2019: $55k (left in the fall)

Second Job (boutique debt shop, NYC)
•    2019: $75k, no bonus (left shortly after a year)

Third/Present Job (debt brokerage, NYC)
•    2020: $82.5k + $15k bonus (joined firm in winter and received pro-rated bonus)
•    2021: $86k + $70k bonus
•    2022: $92k + $80k bonus
•    2023: $100k + ??? bonus

 

My current base is at the cap for non-brokers/support staff. Bonuses usually capped at 100% but cash tips may vary dependent on team and your value to it.

Only way to get higher base is if you are truly a career analyst for one specific team/broker. I have a few at my firm who are in their 40s or older who I presume have a $150-200k base + less than standard bonus percentage.

 

Brokerage analyst years

Y1: $60k base + $132k bonus (team went absolutely ham that year)

Y2: $62k base + $72k bonus

Y3: $64k base + $84k bonus

Y4: Left brokerage; stub year

REIT senior associate years (I like to call this the "promotional discount" period)

Y4: $90k base, $12k bonus

Y5: $92k base, $12k bonus

Y6: $104.5k base, $30k bonus

REIT VP years (same company, they decided they like me)

Y7: $200k base, $50k bonus, $40k restricted stock

Y8: $210k base, ???TBD bonus, $30k restricted stock

The REIT job and the comp cut was a bit of a leap of faith but in hindsight I am so glad I did it. Brokerage at a top capital markets team was an absolute meat grinder and I do not miss the hours or the work at all.

 

You bet, glad to help. Brokerage hours were not bad by banking standards (think like 70 per week on average) but pretty bad by real estate standards. The worst part about it for me though was working for clients. Not all were bad, but after seeing both sides I'd rather be the client than work for clients any day of the week. It just takes a different attitude and adds a dog and pony show component to what would normally be simple tasks. Edit to add: yes correct HCOL market.

 

This thread hurts...live in a HCOL and many of my friends who are 3 years out of college are clearing +$300k in different investment roles that aren't RE (retail, tech, energy PE)

  8.5.5
 

Same. Are you in RE ? How much are you making / what are your plans. I can't stomach the low pay of this industry tbh. I work at a very well known RE shop and get paid 100k including bonus first year. Work about 70 hours a week and have been reminded a few times how the firm is making an investment in me. I like RE, but I also like finance in general and think I could do well in other non RE , traditional finance roles. Probabaly would need to get an MBA. Issue is I already have a MRED. not sure how much more time I can waste in school

 

In RE at a very large shop in a HCOL. Expecting mid-2's this year. However, friends in other industries at much smaller firms are making that as their base at my same level. You just won't hear about it since not many of those types who are comfortable in their roles making that much at 70 hours a week will come here to post about it. 

  8.5.5
 

Class of 2020: MCOL

YR 0: 25 hr (contract) - non real estate financial services consulting

Yr 0.5: $70k base - Converted to full time (non real estate financial services consulting)

Yr 1.5 : $73.5k base - Raise (non real estate financial services consulting)

Yr 2.5: $77k base - Agency CMBS New Issuance Trading Analyst

 

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