How hard is it to work up from the bottom in CRE?

I have a tentative offer to work at a boutique Real Estate Development and Property Management firm (8m sq. ft.) for a summer internship but the title isn't that lucrative and the work would be due diligence and paperwork mostly. I'm more than willing to start at the bottom and grind my way up to the top of the field, but I want to know how possible that is in commercial real estate.

My ambition is to work in asset management or development full time. I graduate from a target school in a year so this is my last chance at a summer internship. I also have no prior RE experience.

7 Comments
 

If you want to work in development, then starting in a development internship sounds quite suitable. Even if they’re not investing in you, you can learn a lot independently through due diligence and seriously examining the paperwork that crosses your desk. You may have reservations since it’s not a big name corporate firm, but the boutique structure means that every employee wears more hats and positions are less compartamentalized. If you embrace the eclecticism and leverage it to gain exposure into the other areas of the company, it’ll be a serious learning advtange. It’s all in your own hands what you make of the experience.

 

This is like asking how hard is being successful. When you really enjoy what you’re doing the hard parts still suck but are at least interesting. Legalized gambling makes for an unbelievable job.

 

Of course it’s possible. It can be hard, confusing, demoralizing, frustrating, and painful but literally everyone’s experience will vary.

My path was more painful than it needed to be. Others luck into a good role right away. Many are simply born into it because their dad did it.

Doesn’t really matter though. If you want it badly enough, and you are capable enough, you can make it happen.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

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