REIT Equity Research Analyst Thoughts

I've been interviewing for an equity research analyst role at a mid-market investment bank. I recently graduated college and have been working as a real estate capital markets broker. I love working hands on with owners and lenders, and enjoy touring and the personal touch of brokerage, but want to analyze bigger assets, bigger deals, etc.

My thought is maybe REIT research sounds like an interesting way into a higher level of real estate finance, and getting into asset management or working at a REIT in the future on the finance side. Any thoughts on this, or on what some exit opportunities from a REIT equity research role might look like?

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If you want to work on bigger deals, ER isn’t the move because they don’t work on deals. Yes, they analyze entire companies, but they don’t work on transactions.

Try to lateral to a brokerage team that sells large portfolios or a REIB team that does M&A. Based on the description of your role it sounds like it would be relatively easy to lateral to another firm that does bigger deals?

Array
 

I know the ER role isnt a transactional role, but my thought is I'd be analyzing the RE porfolios held by REITs, and doing research on any major acquisitions.

Eventually ending up on a REIB team that does large portfolio deals is my goal. Do you think my current role is the best place to be for that, or is there other upside the the ER role?

 

See the other posters response regarding researching major acquisitions. I wouldn’t expect you to be doing much of that either

It’s possible to lateral to REIB depending on what the rest of your profile looks like. I wouldn’t expect to land on a BB REIB team but middle market is possible. You should start reaching out to people thru LinkedIn / Cold email

I’d also start doing corporate financial modeling courses, but I’m guessing you already have if you got an interview for equity research

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