Other major players in this segment include the Lincoln Property Company, which offers development and investment services in both residential and commercial real estate, and Del Webb, the largest U.S. developer. Any kind of investing in real estate requires a thorough understanding of how to analyze the value of a property and navigate the maze of land-use regulations, zoning laws, environmental impact reports, financing realities, and other barriers to buying and developing a property. The people who develop, market, and manage REITs and other real estate investments are financial types, often MBAs, who are charged with evaluating and arranging for the purchase of properties. Even though there is a lot of money to be made in this industry, one should not enter it expecting to become the next Donald Trump. On average, real estate salaries are low.
Most positions require several years to build up experience, contacts, and responsibility.
To be successful you'll need to be self-motivated, focused, and able to take the good times with the bad. Job opportunities exist mainly in sales and property acquisition and analysis. If you want to enter on the sales side, you'll need to get a license and then go to work for a commercial or residential broker, both of which act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers. Search our database of more than 30,000 entry-level jobs and internships.