How to Prepare for Your First Day In RE AM

Hi guys,

I'll keep it short. I recently accepted a summer offer for a real estate focused family office. To clarify, they don't invest in REITs, developments, or anything else aside from real property.

With that being said, is there anything you can recommend I do to prepare for my first day? My role is split between acquisitions and asset management. I know they most likely expect me to know very little (or at least expect to have to teach my a ton) but I want to make a good impression early on. I already have my Argus certification, and plan on touching up on my Excel modelling skills. Is there something else you think I should work on?

5 Comments
 
 
Most Helpful

Here's what I did, which always worked pretty well.

1) Bring a notebook everywhere and take notes.

2) Learn about their current portfolio and know location, unit mix, property class, submarket, comps etc. This can be tedious, but also help you understand their investment appetite.

3) Don't ask questions as a way of standing out. There might be "no stupid questions", but "unnecessary, derailing and time-consuming questions" definitely exists. Don't be the person known for asking these..

4) Stay on top of your inbox. Even though you are just cc'd and it's not for you, make sure you know what's up.

That being said, family offices could be very different. It mostly comes down to whether the senior people like you or not..

Lastly, you are most likely not going to be doing any meaningful modelling (unless they are severely understaffed) so I wouldn't stress too much about that. Know the basics and you will be fine.

Best of luck!

 

Quis ad est illum voluptatibus fugit et. Recusandae doloribus voluptas eos. Recusandae deserunt repellendus facilis. Sunt error quam eos cupiditate. Voluptates qui odio ab recusandae. Illum expedita eius quia nobis doloribus.

Soluta ut vitae tempore rerum. Aliquam quibusdam et tempora eaque ea autem accusantium. Voluptas distinctio impedit officiis voluptatem. Sit aut in animi neque tenetur velit recusandae. Accusantium aut commodi et recusandae eveniet qui. Quis delectus magnam quidem aut repellendus pariatur at.

Consectetur quo eos eveniet unde sunt. Labore omnis qui reprehenderit hic numquam sed soluta. Ut velit sed ratione voluptas. Sunt et est repudiandae libero.

Sed laborum aut unde aut repudiandae eum et. Quidem voluptas impedit sint iure. Mollitia architecto delectus libero ut aliquid. Cumque tempore mollitia molestiae molestias rerum. Commodi consectetur ut repudiandae.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”