Would you rather start at a large REIT or a private developer? What are the pros and cons?

I am in a uniques position where I have the opportunity to start full time with a private developer and investor that I have worked for while I wrapped up my MBA. The company is relatively small, think 6 million SF UM and 60 employees with assets in 3 states. We do everything from office to industrial to home development. He has directly taken me under his wing and I feel like I could wear a lot of hats under his company. He also doesn’t have any family coming up in the wings so I see a chance to learn and rise quickly. I am not getting the pay of working at a big REIT but I feel like I have a great opportunity to see a wide range of deals. Also nice that he doesn’t run A crank shop where I am jammed in a cubicle staring at excel all day. When and if the time comes, do REITs or larger institutions look at guys like me that will have this type of experience?

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Hi JackyD, yes, I'm a bot, but I'm also good looking. Hopefully, these threads help you:

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  • More suggestions...

Maybe one of our professional members will share their wisdom: mkbelenky fbrunet James M.-Fox MSRED

I hope those threads give you a bit more insight.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

I'd rather start at a private developer if the end game is real estate development. I think you are glorifying the roles (and comp) available at a large REIT.

 

Sounds like you have a great opportunity where you will learn more and grow faster than at a large company.

Switching to a large company in the future should not be an issue, you will just need to frame your experience in the right way during the interview. It should not be an issue switching to a bigger shop in the future with this type of experience. Good Luck!

 

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