I graduated in 2010 (24 y/o) and worked for 2 years at a boutique development firm in Texas as an analyst/project manager. Principals of the firm got into some legal trouble so I decided to get out of there. I enrolled in the Georgetown MSRE program that started this past August. In the months between leaving the development gig and school starting, I called in a favor and worked for ~5 months for the investment sales group of a major RE brokerage firm. I'm not unrealistic about my credentials and experience; I know REPE, REIB, REITs etc. are going to be out of my grasp. I'm thinking my best shot is going to be a Capital Markets Group of a big brokerage firm (CB,JLL,CW,HFF) or working for a developer.
Any idea of reputable developers in the DC area who I could start hounding?
Are privately held REITS (Cole, Behringer Harvard, Hines) any easier to break into?
DC is a very competitive job market but it helps that you have exp and you're going to a strong grad school. The list of developers are going to depend on what asset types you're most interested in. If you're interested in multifamily, then EYA is an active and reputable regional firm and I'm sure you've heard of Bozzuto. If you're interested in office, then take a look at KBS or Vornado. Many of the national and international firms have a strong presence in DC, so look at the DC offices of Hines, etc.
Also, network like crazy with the RE prog. This list that I pulled from one of the progs networking events - not strictly developers - but useful nonetheless if you are in the early, exploratory phase of job searching...
What asset class do you want to focus on? I would say from the list above, Vornado, McShea, and Tishman Speyer are good bets to start. You really have to get half lucky and be in the right place at the right time, so make sure you stay in front of people in the industry as much as you can and be persistent. You are right that working for a big brokerage shop can be easier to break in to, especially if you have some kind of connection.
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