Wanting to break into commercial real estate as a financial analyst in acquisitions or development, non-target background, badly need feedback on niche
[{"id": "j199c1t", "text": "Doesn\u2019t matter for CRE!!   It comes down to your connections!! If no connections, go on LinkedIn and email associates, VPs, directors, MDs that you are a recent graduate or still in school, and you are interested in CRE.  Google makes everything easy to read CRE news\u2026 you can use this to have conversations about their firm or the market! \n\nTo go adventuresincre.com, pay for the certificate and learn makes concepts in excel and CRE valuation.  \n\nMight be overwhelming but you can do it!!\n\nI have no connections but I kept grinding and work for a bad ass development shop!! \n\nAlso, right now might not be the best time to be a developer.  The world is a little crazy with high interest rates, crazy construction costs, negative rent growth and all sorts of shit!!  Best of luck my guy.\n\nAlso, what do you want to understand about the niche?  Think of acquisitions as a player, looking for the next target to make out with. And development as a short term marriage.  Both have pros and cons lol", "replies": [{"id": "j19bkr9", "text": "Second this.\n\nUnless your MBA is from a high yield network b-school, no one cares about your education/certs/school(s).  Network and make inroads - the older and more healed your connections are the better your opportunities will be.  Young gunner bro clubs, real estate group fundraisers, membership mixers, all of that will have low ROI compared to getting connected with an older mentor or someone you can shadow/help gain a way in.\n\nI'd try to leverage your family office connections from your internship if possible.  This sounds shallow, but people with old money and a real estate portfolio are better connections to have than the CFO of CBRE.  They'll likely be more directly connected to a broader range of people willing to help you.  Corporate shills are typically too worried about their own bank accounts and trophy cases to help low level people in need.", "replies": [{"id": "j19dywy", "text": "I don't have an MBA and have had a lot of conversations with other people in the industry who all concur that it is useless, that being said I don't think no one cares about education - I'm always asked about it. Those memberships are to indicate commitment to CRE (my old resume was way too generalized and thus probably glossed over) and show that I actively participate in networking.\n\nI have tried - unfortunately that family office is so small that they don't offer much opportunity at all... I've spoken to them about it before but they're incredibly difficult to reach, have a few passion projects and are close to retirement/always vacationing. I worked general labour my other summers, not on resume for lack of relevance, and have tried to leverage those connections as well to no avail. They're happy to provide a glowing recommendation but don't actually keep an eye out.", "replies": [{"id": "j19y63g", "text": "Having an education is valuable insofar as you learned some things, undoubtedly, and that made you a more informed and marketable resource to someone in industry considering you for a position.  So I\u2019ll redress my statement - you\u2019re right, people care about education.  But I don\u2019t think it carries you as much as you think it does or hope it will.  \n\nAs is I\u2019d say your resume is fine, despite being a BArch. applying for FA roles.  Just keep grinding and trying to add experience, or education relevant to what you want to do, or both.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "j19cwvq", "text": "I have a hard time believing it doesn't matter at all, I already do actively try connect with people in LinkedIn and in the companies. Mixed results.\n\nAlready pursuing Adventures in CRE, it's in there to indicate that as well for the people who might recognize it.\n\nYeah, timing on development is shit but I've seen more development job postings than acquisitions and I need a job /shrug\n\nHonestly more into acquisitions but again those positions are even less likely to be hiring right now in down market, vendors aren't adjusting prices = buying teams slowing down = no new hires", "replies": [{"id": "j19hpmn", "text": "If you have a good spiel about your education, it will help more than if you had studied something super relevant. More business schools have accounting and finance programs than commercial real estate majors, so you probably made a good move with your mejor if you want to be in the business world. As long as you\u2019re trying to fill that CRE knowledge area which you clearly are, having a financial analyst background can only help.\n\nEdit: sorry I just realized your resume was in the other post and that you were not a finance major. Might just delete this for being unhelpful lol\n\nEdit 2: I still stand by saying a good spiel for your major can make or break you in that conversation in an interview. I think your resume shows a good progression toward what it sounds like you want to do, and having an architectural background is still great if you want to be in the buildings industry. Totally makes sense and I think there\u2019s a lot that could be said and spun there.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "j231o7s", "text": "College dropout here, a senior analyst in NYC. Definitely LinkedIn, know the basics, and network! It will get you somewhere. And have a crazy work ethic.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]