I'm having a lot of trouble trying to come up with an answer. I have no experience in RE and prior to this I interned on the buyside as a fixed income analyst. The firm is looking for a data analyst, and my programming and STEM background matched well with what they were looking for. It sounds like the focus of the position would be on researching trends and creating predictive models while working with both Acquisitions and Asset Management. Also, it seems the firm works mostly with student housing.
I don't know if it's appropriate to use generic answers (tangibility of RE, love of architecture) since it's quite obvious I have no RE background. I'm thinking of maybe saying how RE is a combination of different fields that I'm interested in (economics - balancing supply/demand and asymmetrical information, predictive modelling - economic,demographic trend analysis). Or should I go the personal experience route and talk about my experiences with student housing and how that got me interested in RE?
My second answer would be my honest answer, but I've been told you needed to show passion for RE and the best way for this is to come up with a personal experience relating to the industry. Advice would be much appreciated.
Give an honest answer with a dash of embellishment. They'll be able to smell if your response is too contrived. Ascertain something you do like about real estate, whether on a personal or professional level, and focus on that - if you can't think of anything, then maybe you shouldn't be going for the job anyway
This question came up quite a few times when I was looking to enter RE with no experience. With no relevant experience in RE, I started going to conferences and networking events. My recommendation would be to start going to conferences like ULI, ICSC and NAIOP. This might not relate to what you want to do, but the benefits are exponential. You meet professionals that can help you down the road, and you can also say that the conferences sparked your interest in RE. It proves to an employer that you have time and interest invested into RE.
As a side note, I would not give generic answers. You have to stand out or you will be placed with the rest of the generic applicants who like the tangibility of RE and that love architecture. You 100% need to show passion for RE so go the second route.
Thanks! I'll look into going to conferences. I never really thought of going that route.
For my upcoming interview, would my second response still OK even without a real personal experience story to RE? But you're right. I think I'll emphasize how RE ties in with fields I'm interested in. Thanks again!
Yeah that would work. Maybe read up on some CRE news nearest the major market city you are interviewing at.
Good luck!
I second ULI conferences. The national conferences are awesome and the local events are prime for networking.
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