Top MBA Necessary for Acquisitions? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Title pretty much sums up my question. I already have 4-5 years in capital markets/ debt at a top 10 Freddie/ Fannie lender, but want to get an MBA to transition to the principal side (eventually management position at a top 50 NMHC owner 🤞🏼). Is it worth it to go to a top 5 if I can go to a #20 and get a fat scholarship?

Comments (24)

  • Analyst 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

Not necessary to simply jump to an acquisitions role. Obviously cannot hurt however.

Get it if you want to climb the corporate ladder to a management role at a big owner like you say, noble goal but sounds miserable.

  • Associate 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

Would you recommend a 1 year mba for me then?

  • Analyst 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

Do you want a deal role or an exec role?

If you have good enough CRE experience and credentials to get a scholarship to a T20 I do not see why you couldn't get a job in acquisitions at a good place with some elbow grease.

If you want to be an exec at a big owner, that is different. I'm not sure acquisitions is the best way to become one.

  • 1
1mo 
therightcoast_, what's your opinion? Comment below:

You might be able to get an acquisitions role now

If you can't then yeah it might help

acquisitions role and an exec role at an institution are two dif things 

  • Associate 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

Don't a lot of top multifamily owner operators not let you progress to associate from analyst unless you have an MBA or CFA though?

  • 1
  • Analyst 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

At 1 now and this doesn't appear to be the case.

  • 1
1mo 
Monkeydawg, what's your opinion? Comment below:

You don't need an mba to jump to acquisitions. Network and apply. Look at bios and you'll see a lot of senior staff at these places without mbas. If you're trying to jump to Starwood then sure go for it but top 50 nmhc I don't think it's required 

  • 1
1mo 
Ozymandia, what's your opinion? Comment below:
Associate 1 in RE - Comm

Title pretty much sums up my question. I already have 4-5 years in capital markets/ debt at a top 10 Freddie/ Fannie lender, but want to get an MBA to transition to the principal side (eventually management position at a top 50 NMHC owner 🤞🏼). Is it worth it to go to a top 5 if I can go to a #20 and get a fat scholarship?

First and foremost I'd stop thinking about this in terms of rankings.  What defines a "top 5" fund?  AUM?  How does that have any direct correlation to what you'll be doing, what you'll be paid, what you're interested in, etc etc etc?  This isn't finance, where people give a shit about league tables.

If the 20th "ranked" firm has 30b of AUM and the 2nd has 300b, why do you care?  I mean that honestly, not as an insult - if you think you'll get something different out of that experience, I'd love to hear it.  Honestly,  there is a strong argument that you'll be better served at a much smaller fund, since the deals you'll likely get exposure to will be smaller, more interesting, less competitively bid on (perhaps), so on and so forth.  

1mo 
Ozymandia, what's your opinion? Comment below:
jarstar1

She's not talking about a top 5 firm, she's talking about a top 5 MBA program, hence the comparison to a T20 with scholarship. 

Ah yes, I see.  Completely misread that.  Sorry OP!

  • 1
  • Assist. VP in RE - Comm
1mo 

Is # 20 with a scholarship UNC? If so do that. UNC is a top tier real estate school within a second tier overall MBA.

Overall you don't need an MBA to get into acquisitions. Through networking you could land a role sooner (and for infinitely less). The deal side of real estate is a boys club and management of firms desperately seeks some gender diversity. You should be fine without, but more education and credentials never hurt in long run.

Most Helpful
1mo 
Anon1235, what's your opinion? Comment below:

It depends where you want to work and what programs you are looking at. I've generally heard get an MBA in the market you want to work in (ex: Columbia if want to be in NYC), but top 20 may really be transferable anywhere. I think part of that advice is being in that market you'd get opportunities to network with people in your market and land better internship opportunities in the summer.

Anyway it's definitely possible, I went from a lesser known brokerage, interviewed at a lot of well known shops and landed at an ok shop before moving on but it's really all about experience and time in that role/side/seeing the modeling and thought process. If you're targeting top 20 MBA programs and have 4-5 years of experience in debt you can 100% land a role on the acquisitions side without a Masters. Start by reaching out to any contacts you have in that position, cold email associates/alumni and get on calls. There are roles opening up now, so it's a good time to start looking and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Not in an MBA program, but currently in an MSRE program in a major market with almost four years of experience can share the positives/negatives and what I've seen in the schools MBA program too.

  • Associate 1 in RE - Comm
1mo 

I like em 😊

1mo 
American Dream, what's your opinion? Comment below:

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