Quick background is I am a dual citizen (Swiss and American), high production investment sales teams (CB/JLL/CW/NMRK) for the past 3 years, Northeast US
I’ve floated the idea of working in Switzerland in a real estate capacity
Are their investment sales or acquisitions roles similar to here in the US? Has anyone worked in Switzerland before? Are their high barriers entry? Am I going full mosaic?
Just curious what’s out there, and if anyone has insight. Thanks.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s what you need to know about working in Switzerland in a real estate capacity:
Investment Sales and Acquisitions in Switzerland:
Barriers to Entry:
Opportunities:
Lifestyle and Pay:
Advice for Transitioning:
If you’re serious about making the move, networking with professionals in Switzerland and exploring roles through local job boards or LinkedIn would be a great next step. Good luck!
Sources: IB in Switzerland, Recruiting in Zürich/ Geneva vs London, Switching from Big 4 to Acquisitions: My Story, What is Investment Sales in Commercial Real Estate?, Switching from Big 4 to Acquisitions: My Story
Do you speak any of the major languages? I worked in REPE in London and now Miami. Used to live in Geneva (worked in a different industry) and my wife is Swiss.
Switzerland is a very small market and relatively insular. When I worked in London (mega fund), we rarely played in the Swiss market. My more senior colleagues described the Swiss REPE market as relatively non-institutional in size and insular (larger trades are the asset management arms of insurance companies trading with themselves).
Hospitality might be a different story however.
All in all, pretty incomparable to the US. Much smaller and local. I’d imagine most of the players there doing anything similar to a small US REPE shop are just local sharpshooters
Based in Switzerland, I can say the real estate market here is very strong and stable, with roles broadly comparable to US-style investment sales / acquisitions across players like Wincasa, Mobimo, PSP Swiss Property, Allreal, as well as insurers and family offices; your Swiss citizenship is a major advantage since it removes visa barriers, but the key constraint is language—typically German in Zurich and French in Geneva, so overall, there are good opportunities, but local language skills and networking are critical to breaking in.
Are there international companies that do business in English or is everything going to be in the language of the city as you mentioned? There is the potential long-term I'll end up in France with my gf but I don't speak French (yet) and I'm curious about the market. (Ignoring visa issues, I should be able to get that settled relatively easy given my circumstances.)
See below
Yes, there are a few international companies that operate in English, but realistically, you either need to be outstanding or very good at networking (and networking is way easier once you’re physically there).
France won’t magically fix that either. You’ll run into the same issue: English‑only roles exist, but they’re rare and competitive, especially if you don’t speak French yet.
What can make sense is Geneva. It’s full of international orgs where English is normal, and you’re right next to France. You can literally commute via TGV and still build a career in an English‑speaking environment.
If you want more specific guidance, just DM me.
Thanks for the response! It's still some ways away, so specifics won't be helpful at the moment, but I appreciate the color.
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