Careers in real estate development require the ability to envision new projects and the perseverance and aptitude to actually get them built The role of the developer is to orchestrate the entire development process from start to finish. Developers can be one individual outsourcing all the work to third parties or a large firm which handles everything in house. Either way, the developer must have knowledge of nearly every process, phase and service involved, including site selection, market analysis, finance, construction, leasing, and sales - and it doesn't hurt to have legal and transactional skills to handle the contracts and liability concerns present in development projects. Development is a dynamic business field with a steep learning curve. The developer is often required to be the first one in with equity and the last to get paid, but if the process is managed correctly, the payouts will be well worth the time and effort it took to get the development done. In the current environment where owners are more conscious of the bottom line, it is crucial that a developer has knowledge and ability to execute on nearly all the development process.
| Role / Company | Location | Posted | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice President, Multi-Family DevelopmentAl. Neyer | Cincinnati, OH | Oct 3, 2023 | ||
| Development and Acquisitions AnalystShelter Asset Management | Scottsdale, AZ | Sep 26, 2023 | ||
| Community and Economic Development Director - City of Lacey, WAGovernment Resource | Lacey, WA | Sep 21, 2023 | ||
| COO/ Director of DevelopmentLederman Search Group | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Sep 21, 2023 | ||
| Community Development DirectorRaftelis | Beaverton, OR | Sep 15, 2023 | ||
| Director, Real Estate DevelopmentSummerHill Housing Group | Palo Alto, CA | Sep 13, 2023 | ||
| Vice President of Corporate Development ACE (WagWell)Access Holdings | Baltimore, MD | Sep 12, 2023 | ||
| Assistant Counsel - Rental Housing DivisionVirginia Housing | Glen Allen - VA, VA | Sep 6, 2023 | ||
| Senior Vice President, DevelopmentConfidential | New York, NY | Sep 5, 2023 | ||
| Tenure or Tenure-Track Faculty and Program Director in Real Estate DevelopmentTulane University - School of Architecture | New Orleans, LA | Aug 30, 2023 |
Looking to the future
Development has returned to its pre-global financial crisis with some sectors, notably multi-family, having experienced historic growth. Long term, infrastructure needs and sustainability will have a larger impact on the development field. As the costs of energy rise and tenants and users become more eco-conscious, organizations such as the US Green Building Council and their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system will become more prevalent. Also, infrastructure, especially in the United States, will become a large area of opportunity as bridges, highways, and public utilities start to become functionally obsolete. State and local governments will look to privatize the development and operation of these projects due to the high costs and limited availability of public funding. The key to finding and capitalizing on opportunities in real estate development is to understand current economic and market conditions and the ability to adapt your product offering to meet the demands caused by these trends.
