Developer Goal

Hi all,

I had a question relating to typical career progression for developers.

I have a pretty broad background in CRE (think Fannie Mae, then direct investment, then associate at small developer, then leasing broker), and I'm currently interviewing for various roles in NYC. Right now, I'm pretty agnostic as to the type of shop/role I end up at (credit, acquisitions, CM, even AM), with my focus being more on simply breaking into the industry in the city and then navigating from there. I am also considering the MSRE from NYU Schack (part time if I land a role, full time if I don't).

My goal is to eventually become a developer myself (in 10-15yrs), and first intend to work for an active developer in the city (not sure if major shop or more boutique, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

So my question is this: how easy is it to transition into a development role coming from a non-development background? My focus has been on acquiring experience and hard skills in the broader finance/investment ecosystem rather than specifically development. Is this something I should be more mindful of, or is there significant enough commonality and crossover where I shouldn't have to worry too much for now?

Any insight from someone who has followed a similar path would incredibly helpful.

Thanks!