Getting your foot in the door in Real Estate

Hello, I am about to hit one year with a wealth management boutique working in Client Service. I have learned a lot during my time but also realize I don't want to work in financial advising and am interested in transitioning into a career in real estate. I studied finance in undergrad and had a good GPA (3.76) & 2 financial analysis internships. I think I'd really enjoy working in development but am having a hard time figuring out where to start, most jobs require 3-5 years of experience in Real Estate.My question is, where is a good spot for me to gain experience and look for an entry level role in CRE?(I am in Portland Oregon)

6 Comments
 

It's pretty hard to get into real estate development directly with no experience (unless your dad owns the company). Most people in development started out in one of the roles that the developers coordinate: broker, engineer, architect, GC, real estate attorney, REPE investor, public official, and so on. They get some experience that makes them more useful on a development team and then break in. Even then, it still takes a lot of networking.

 

Network your ass off by consistently going to networking events hosted by organizations such as NAIOP and ULI. These are the most prominent organizations in the industry. Talk to everyone with a genuine curiosity to learn. If you are serious about going into the business, look into courses such as REFAI by REFM. That’s been the best for me. It’ll also show initiative when talking about these things with people in the industry. Read up on current events in CRE using bisnow articles, PERE articles, etc. It’s a great industry.

 

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