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Definitely doable from both but you’ll need to get work experience while you’re in school. If it’s Columbia you’re going to have to try to get some quality part time work experience while you’re completing your coursework which isn’t always the easiest to find. If it’s Cornell, you get the chance to do a summer internship which is much more structured and will make FT recruiting easier.

Recruiting at the few top shops in RE is closer to IB/PE recruiting than stereotypical RE recruiting. Especially in NYC. Was your undergrad top tier? What was your UG GPA? Don’t have to answer but things to think about. You’re going to be competing with kids from top tier brokerages, IB, and MBA programs. Like I said, it’s definitely doable but you may end up faced with the decision of being at a top tier shop or being in NYC if your undergrad profile isn’t super competitive or you aren’t well connected. Everyone has their own priories but I’d rather be at Related’s DC or Boston office than a middle market firm in NYC.

 

you don’t need a top msred if you go to a top 20

those firms you listed hire out of undergrad. if you’re confident in your abilities then find a way to make it work with them.

huge proponent of work experience before advanced degrees

 
"cre01010101"I completed my undergrad education in RE from a top 20 and am now heading to a top tier MRED . Although I don’t have formal work experience , not including internships, will I be able to place at a Hines , Related , Tishman, Brookfield level shop ? Am I outpricing myself at the analyst level ?

I hope you are not paying for your MRED, because you can certainly get an analyst role without it.

In general, I am very anti-MRED without prior work experience. You don’t need much - even just a year is fine.

You may want to look into asking to postpone your admission a year.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 
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"CRE" I am very anti-MRED without prior work experience.

@CRE has a good point, it's mixed value w/o exp at best. I do think markets like this where there will be displacement is one where having a MSRE/D can be smart move after UG. Just be aware, you will probably be getting a job that used to go to people with UG degrees for little to zero additional pay (this is what happened post 08), the grad degree holders got jobs while the UG people were forced to only keep doing internships in many cases. Just an effect of competition.

Our firm isn't of the scale of the one's listed by the OP, but does similar/competitive projects, we have typically only hired associates with substantial experience (not always in development, but related fields also). I don't see that changing. Bigger firms will have analyst slots for new grads, but exp. is always preferred and there are lots of people with brokerage, finance, architecture, const. mngt, etc. backgrounds doing MSRE/Ds, those are the most employable in my opinion. Again, an internship in grad school with a developer can sometimes bridge this gap.

 

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