Looking to further my education to put me in position to be a development manager at a development firm and grow my own commercial property portfolio.
I have a couple smaller Multifamily properties under my belt (8-unit and 5-unit) plus a few resi. I am looking to further my education either various online classes, certificates or possibly the MBA route. I currently work on the contractor side professionally as a project manager but I want to get on the development side of the money. 
I’m looking for any advice or thoughts on what education you found helpful in your own journey and what seemed like a good idea but was ultimately not needed. 

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
[{"id": "gw7t7u1", "text": "Look into local MBA programs and MSRE programs.  Find out what companies are actively involved with those programs and where their alumni have found jobs.", "replies": [{"id": "gw7wyod", "text": "Good ideas, I didn\u2019t know that MSRE existed!", "replies": [{"id": "gw8zpu1", "text": "Respect varied opinions but I disagree. I have an msre, have taught in a few of the better known programs, and currently teach MBAs. If you know what path you want to follow, don\u2019t spend your time or money on the certificate.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw7um19", "text": "My wife and I have a bunch of small residential and some smaller industrial properties.  The biggest industrial one is 13,000 sf.  Someone commented in this sub a few weeks ago about this online course:  [https://www.adventuresincre.com/accelerator](https://www.adventuresincre.com/accelerator)\n\nI don't know if I will ever take it myself but it, or something similar to it, looks quite interesting to me.  Being able to accurately model everything (as much as that is possible) is, to me, the most important skill if you want to get into development.  We don't want to develop ourselves, but even just to better understand our own portfolio, I thought that education looked interesting.  I have no idea if that particular one is recommended over others.  Hopefully other people will have better advice.\n\nI just wanted to say that IMO an MBA would not help at all, unless it would help you land a job.  But I don't think it'd be worth getting a whole MBA (unless it's a real estate development focused program) for what you want to do.\n\nI feel like I know most of what I need to know to function at my level in CRE.  Those modeling courses look interesting--- I don't know too much about how that is done professionally.  We have our own cute spreadsheets we use but I'm sure more experienced people would think we're morons.  Anyway, good luck!", "replies": [{"id": "gw7x3qv", "text": "I definitely understand that point of view. I feel\nComfortable with the smaller property types but weighing out the options to try and get into the bigger game.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw7wpxa", "text": "How much experience do you have on the CM side? It\u2019s not uncommon for developers to hire people from that side of the business, you may not even need to get an MBA or certificate.", "replies": [{"id": "gw7xcfb", "text": "I have a few years under my belt as a PM for an electrical contractor with experience of multi-million $$ projects but I am out of Chicago and it seems the the barrier of entry for development forms is pretty high. Most of the job postings I\u2019ve seen are looking for more. Including experience as a dev manager.", "replies": [{"id": "gw7y3wc", "text": "How old are you? Would you be willing to come in as an analyst ($50-60k starting out)? What is your current education level?", "replies": [{"id": "gw7yfdl", "text": "30. I\u2019ve thought about it, I currently make $100k so it would be a hit but about the same as a masters. If I had a clear cut timeline I\u2019d consider it. I have my bachelors in Industrial engineering tech.", "replies": [{"id": "gw7zal2", "text": "Honestly I think if you network and grind you can break in with a small pay cut (maybe 75-80kish with a small bonus). It\u2019ll be a learning curve but since you have professional work experience on the construction side it\u2019s not worth shelling out a ton of money and time on a degree. That\u2019s just my personal opinion. I broke in without any experience and an arts degree and now run acquisitions for a real estate fund. It just took a lot of networking and watching YouTube courses on how to model deals.", "replies": [{"id": "gw7zfep", "text": "Fair point. I appreciate your perspective", "replies": [{"id": "gw85v8x", "text": "My team has a construction manager. You could look for those sorts of teams. You'll be exposed to the finance side. Perhaps you can work your way over from there.\n\nI also got an msre. It helped me transition from property management to development. It's expensive. If you can find a certificate at a good school i think that would be a good fit with your experience.", "replies": [], "depth": 7}], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}, {"id": "gw8my8p", "text": "I\u2019d recommend targeting large developments with a specific electrical pm/engineer/etc then transitioning to a dm position. \n\nThe term \u201cdevelopment manager\u201d gets thrown around a lot. A lot of people don\u2019t realize it entails the entire product life cycle. Construction can be a surprisingly small and quick part in the grand scheme of things.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw8lhce", "text": "Look into CCIM", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw8r6lh", "text": "You have a lot more options than may seem apparent right now. Follow me through this...\n\nThe last 14 months have proven a lot of things that nobody ever imagined would happen. Office product is going to swirl the drain, as we learned that people can work from home. Retail isn\u2019t far behind. Yes, we will always need to go somewhere to get haircuts and tattoos, but Amazon is going to ruin the grocery anchored space. They\u2019ve already ruined the world of general retail, and big box vacancies are going to skyrocket. Enclosed malls are dead. \n\nSo, for all intents and purposes, the largest swath of development in the next ten years will center on residential. This will include single family housing, and a plethora of multifamily housing efforts. In cities where a glut of offices are going vacant, I believe there will be substantial adaptive reuse. \n\nSo, what development do you want to be in? And what will pay you the long dollar? \n\nConsider a few things... first, many universities are experiencing a bloodletting right now. They are making MBA\u2019s as easy to get (with work, but still) as ever. Look into what\u2019s out there. And, second, look into CCIM. You will have a Chicago chapter, they are likely offering scholarships, and you can gain a lot of knowledge very fast. \n\nLastly, realize that the low hanging fruit is everywhere around you. EVERYWHERE! You just have to grab it. \n\nGodspeed!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw8waqz", "text": "MSRE. The education and network will be the springboard you want.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw8zhn2", "text": "You know what you want; that\u2019s half the battle. What are your primarily hurdles?\n\nMy two cents: Don\u2019t get an MS/MBA. Take www.adventuresincre.com and www.creanalyst.com, network your butt off, and find a good mentor.", "replies": [{"id": "gwa0nwu", "text": "As basic as this sounds, it works. Those two sites helped me. Finding a mentor in this business is going to help make leaps and bounds.", "replies": [{"id": "gwa7r5q", "text": "The key is finding sponsors in addition to mentors. People in the business will no doubt help people who want to help themselves. You can either pay to play by going to grad school (and pray that alumni will help you) or earn your own path by investing in yourself, getting legit training, and finding some sponsors and mentors.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gw93wdw", "text": "I found an article saying that the certifications below will help someone advance their career in business:\n\n \\- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)\n\n\\- Project Management Professional (PMP)\n\n\\- Professional Certificate in Team Leadership  \nHope this helps and wish you the best in your journey!", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]