A career in commercial real estate is not limited to students who specifically study real estate.
Students working toward a degree in business or accounting should consider a career in real estate finance — which encompasses the financial tasks involved in purchasing, developing and overseeing assets.
Specialities In Real Estate Finance
- Asset Management:Analyze an asset’s performance to create a plan for getting strong returns while reducing risk.
- Acquisitions Management: Add assets to a portfolio based on what makes sense for the company’s investment strategy and use analysis and financial modeling to make predictions about an asset’s value.
- Underwriting: Evaluate the financial status of a property and a borrower seeking a loan for the property to figure out the level of risk for the loan.
- Portfolio management: Manage CRE properties in a portfolio, helping clients maximize their properties and make decisions
- Real estate accounting: Oversee financial activities, transactions and records related to acquiring, selling or managing assets.
Skills College Graduates Need
- Financial modeling: The use of Excel and other software to make predictions about how an asset will perform financially.
- Risk assessment: Evaluate metrics to weigh the possibility of risk, whether when lending money to a borrower or looking at the market to evaluate asset performance.
- Analytical Thinking: Evaluate real estate trends and trajectories and make decisions based on findings.
- Communication: Inform clients and stakeholders about crucial information about investments or status of a loan and negotiate terms of a deal
What Comes After Graduation
College graduates can start their career in real estate finance as an analyst and work their way up to an associate-level job. Higher-level roles include Managing Director, Vice President and Chief Finance Officer.
College graduates who are starting their careers can visit SelectLeaders to connect with a hiring manager, view resources for hiring and apply for open roles on its job board.
Click here to learn more about CRE finance and view open roles.
