Researching if it’s Worth Pursuing a Masters of Real Estate
Hi,

So my family is saying I should do a MSRE from DU after I do my undergrad (I graduate in Spring 2023); and I’m interested in that. Currently I’m doing a Bachelors of Business Administration w/ an emphasis in RE at CU Boulder.

My parents said to not worry about the tuition so much — they’ll pay. So the cost isn’t a factor.

I read some posts in this sub and if I’m correct, I gathered that it’s ideal to pursue an MSRE if you’re trying to make a career change.

While I’m interested in the courses offered in DUs MSRE program, I’m trying to research if it’s worth it. I’ve got some questions below that hopefully you all can give some insight on in order to help contribute to what I’m trying to research.

1. What are jobs in the RE industry that you can get right after with a masters but not a bachelors?

2. In your current and past jobs have you seen that having a masters can be beneficial skill wise, salary wise, etcetera?

Given what I saw in this sub and looking at the average national salary for “RE Analyst” on Salary.com, I don’t feel like it’s worth it (I told my family most of what I found).

My family feels like having a masters means better job opportunities and that because my undergrad degree is just a Business Administration Degree with an emphasis in RE and not a Bachelors in RE, it would be harder to find a job.

Sorry if this post is a bit messy, please let me know what I can do to help you all understand my post :)
[{"id": "ib0g20u", "text": "When your family said don't worry about the cost, does that mean they are paying for it? If they aren't paying, then worry about the cost. \n\nI am not in the field but I can give you my thoughts on Masters Degrees. \n\nIf you are a good student and do your bachelprs and masters back to back, you are done forever and that is great. It's a big deal. If you do your masters later then you may be working full time or need to stop working. Both may not be ideal. Working while getting a masters basically takes away 2+ years of your life. \n\nOnce you have a masters, education is unlikley to hold you back from a job in that field or a related field. \n\nCan you get a good entry level job in your field with a bachelor's? If yes, then a masters isn't necessary at this time. If you need a masters to get the entry level job you want then strongly consider it. \n\nInternships are really valuable. \n\nAlso, it seems like you haven't applied to anything in your local market, which is the most surefire way to determine your job prospects.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib0mtsn", "text": "I would go work for a few years first, especially right now because firms are desperate for hands at the moment.\n\nWhen the big nasty recession finally comes, then you can duck into a masters for a year or two\n\nYou'll bring more to the table with some experience, and then when you go get into a masters program, you'll get way more out of it, as you'll know what questions to ask, and what things to learn to help you make more money \n\nAnother benefit is that you'll likely be able to get into the best programs with some experience (think USC, Wharton, MIT)\n\nPlus, you'll gain some maturity, and some \"presence\" with some years of independence under your belt\n\n&amp;#x200B;\n\nA lot of CRE is old school guys who learned everything on the streets and don't really take too kindly to kids with tons of certs and degrees but no ability on the phone, in negotiations, think really poorly on their feet (can't do basic math without their smartphone, etc, etc)\n\n&amp;#x200B;\n\nI learned this the hard way, don't be like me, go get some experience, and then some degrees", "replies": [{"id": "ib23jw9", "text": "Solid advice. Get some experience in the field to see what you like. See what the people at the top recommend.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib10dyf", "text": "Without a few years of work experience I don't see this as being very fruitful", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib112ar", "text": "DU grad here from the Burns School class of 07. I agree with prior comments- get a few years of experience before a grad degree. It\u2019ll be more valuable, your networking abilities will be stronger, and you can draw on real life experience to hone your skills and knowledge. Another thought is that before you burn the time/money/energy on a masters, after a few years you might have a desire for an MBA or something different. \nThe 4+1 offerings are tempting. No doubt. But do ~2 years of work first.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib122tc", "text": "If you\u2019re going to be an agent somewhere it\u2019s not really necessary. \n\nIf you\u2019re going to climb the ladder there it\u2019s not really necessary. \n\nIf you want to be an analyst, it\u2019s not really necessary.\n\nIn closing, no, a masters in real estate isn\u2019t necessary for anything but could be helpful if you decide to get your CCIM. \n\nBut having a masters doesn\u2019t help you close deals and that\u2019s all that matters", "replies": [{"id": "ib1ireg", "text": "What if the masters was at a school with a really good alumni program and he just went there to network?", "replies": [{"id": "ib1mi9u", "text": "You could literally just reach out to the alumni and not spend tens of thousands of dollars. I cannot think of any hidden piece of knowledge in this industry that a masters would help one to discover. \n\nOnly reason I could maybe think to do one is if you had a bachelors in something else and wanted to use the masters to transition into the industry but it would be cheaper to learn to model on youtube and then just apply till someone gives you a shot.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib1wg7j", "text": "Your family is wrong - an MSRE is far from necessary and isn\u2019t going to improve prospects much with no experience.\n\nMost entry level real estate roles higher business undergrads, there\u2019s simply not a lot of true RE programs out there. Business, urban planning, engineering and architecture are the most common bachelors degrees at that level.\n\nSalary at entry level depends where you want to work. In a major market it can be $80-100k plus a 20%+ bonus pretty easily. It also scales very quickly. But this depends where you go. Brokerage side salaries are lower but your bonus on a good team can be enormous.\n\nMy advice would be go get an entry level role for now, it\u2019s a great time to be recruiting. Most shops are having a tough time finding analysts in the current market.\n\nIf you\u2019re going to do a masters I\u2019d hold off for 2-3 years of experience as you\u2019ll take more away from the program with real world knowledge.\n\nI\u2019d also recommend an MBA over MSRE. MSRE as you mentioned is better for career switchers or people moving from an adjacent industry like construction into development. An MBA gives you far better general business knowledge which is important to move up the ladder beyond a certain point. Only situation I\u2019d say maybe go MSRE is if you really want to do a development management (I.e. project management) role vs finance or brokerage, as those roles typically go to planning, construction or engineering background folks.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ib71crl", "text": "Most CRE firms do not require a masters. Just a bachelors to get your foot in the door. After that its all about understanding the nature of the job, and high production. Master\u2019s course will educate a little bit about everything. However depending on the industry and company, everything gets more specific and taliored to how each firm operates. Skip it in my opinion and get a few years of job experience first.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ieexs10", "text": "I\u2019m a recent real estate grad from a different university. One of our professors would always tell us that the masters program learned virtually the same things and would land similar analyst jobs, the only difference being that they would make 10-20k more right off the bat because of their advanced degree. He even made the case that undergrads could be more desirable for companies because they will do the same job for less. Don\u2019t know how much truth there is to this, but just what one professor told me.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]