Career Advice: Tax Manager or start over as Real Estate Analyst

I am over 30 and have been working in tax at big 4. Got my MBA finance from a 3rd tier school(I know, I know, should have gone to a top MBA even though the 3rd tier school gave me a scholarship). I didn't do an internship during my MBA because of some family issues but I cleared CFA level I. All my work experience are tax related. I like real estate investment and wanted to work in REPE, REIT, or real estate development etc someday, earn a decent paycheck doing what I like. I am offered a CRE associate position at Massey Knakal Realty. Looks like it would be a great learning opportunity(CRE sales, underwriting, valuation, client relationship etc). The starting pay is less than half of what I can make as a tax manager though. And I know if I continue to do tax (although not passionate about it), I will be making close to $150K to $200K 5,6 years down the road. So I am trying to see what exit options I have if I take the job at Massey Knakal and if those exit options worth me leaving my tax job which pays $150 to $200 couple years down the road. Thanks!

 

this is what you'll be doing if you have NO RE connections and work alone.

step 1: create a list of owners in your market step 2: make 50+ phone calls DAILY hoping to schedule a meeting step 2.5: put up with owners insulting you and hanging up on you step 3. go to these meetings (nyc has a lot of sketchy neighborhoods) step 4: do a proposal explaining the price and hope you convinced them to sell step 5: now that you have the listing, its time to find a freaking buyer (this is the hardest part) step 6: attempt to close and pray nothing goes wrong step 7: COMMISSION! step 8: repeat steps1-7

you'll do this for a few years. is it easy? no. is it rewarding? it can be. but realize that a lot of things can and will go wrong. good luck

 

Thanks so much for the candid advice, fez! I am not looking to stay with a brokerage firm for long as I am not a sales type person. I am trying to see if the real estate valuation/underwriting experience at Massey Knakal would give me leverage into REIB, REPE or REITs in the future. And how long will this take? Or if I need to have a MSRED from a top school in order to get into REIB, REPE etc? A lot of my clients are developers, REPE or REITs, so maybe I can still break in from that route? I guess the ultimate question is if all these effort worthy considered that I am over 30 and can make a decent amount of money doing tax couple years down the road. Although I understand that staying with tax means I am gonna do something I am just ok with but not passionate about and I won't have that potentially lucrative bonus doing real estate investment.

Sophie :-)

 
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