"Real Estate Investment Banking"

I currently work on the principal side at a small, boutique PE practice that specializes in MF and senior living, but I have recently been interested in what I hear as "real estate investment banking." I realize this is different than actual RE investment banking (M&A, ECM, DCM, etc. for real estate companies) but I am still confused how this is different than the work at a brokerage house like CB or JLL on the capital markets teams. For example, I know CB has CBRE Capital Advisors, ya da ya, but how does this group differ from their capital markets team?

I understand REIB (at the property level) to basically build a deal's capital stack. Is it simply a broad term that wraps up all of CRE brokerage house services, or is there something particular that separates an REIB team at CB from their investment sales, E/DCM team?

Thanks for the help!

6 Comments
 
Best Response

I have come to the conclusion that REIB - in the formal sense - are firms that offer M&A, ECM, DCM, etc. services for real estate companies and REITS. As you can imagine, there is a small market for these firms which is why you do not hear much about them.

Brokerage firms like JLL and CBRE have "Real Estate Investment Banking Groups" that are no different than their Debt and Structured Finance teams. From what i gathered, these incorrectly titled "REIB" teams handle larger institutional/portfolio deals that span multiple markets. However, at the end of the day, they are still debt and equity brokers.

 

I think that's Eastdil's tag line... I work in RE DCM which fits the colloquial use of IB. However, if you look up the formal definition for investment banking, institutions like Eastdil, HFF, and other brokers 100% fit the bill.

"An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations, and governments in raising financial capital by underwriting or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities." - Wikipedia

"In finance and economics, a financial institution is an institution that provides financial services for its clients or members. One of the most important financial services provided by a financial institution is acting as a financial intermediary." - Wikipedia

This isn't college, Wikipedia counts as a source.

 

Suscipit aperiam doloremque assumenda ut maiores omnis cum. Id quia delectus est minus modi. Blanditiis quis asperiores similique ex consequatur maxime ullam. Quod quia aut tenetur dicta. Sunt rem nulla nihil quas excepturi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”