How many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts? There are many job opportunities in the REIT industry. This piece will look at some of the most lucrative ones.
The past recent years have seen a massive shift career-wise. There has been a major paradigm shift in the domains of jobs. It has been highly influenced by the fact that people are more intrigued about the traditional investment market than starting their own companies.
One of such job markets is the real estate investment trusts, commonly called (REITs). A REIT is a publicly traded investment vehicle where investors pool their money and invest in large-scale income-producing real estate. A REIT portfolio’s properties could be residential, commercial, or both. They range from luxury apartments to data warehouses and shopping malls.
The real estate industry is growing exponentially, and so are the opportunities to make money. There are endless opportunities to invest or get a job with REIT companies. According to The Real Estate Licensing Law Officials Association (ARELLO), there are 2 million active real estate licensors in the US.
If you’re looking to invest or get a job in REITs, this article will detail some of the opportunities available in real estate investment trusts and what they entail.
Table of Contents
How Many Jobs are Available in Real Estate Investment Trusts?
How many jobs are in real estate investment trusts? Well, this industry is growing substantially, pushing investors towards increasing their earnings through real state investment funds.
The main reason REITs are finding, acquiring, managing, and leasing out real estate assets is to generate income and use the assets for development. This requires a variety of professionals.
To get a picture of how many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts, REIT companies hire 308,000 people offering over 2.9 million full-time equivalents (FTE) jobs.
Whether or not you have a background in real estate, basic skills can make you a shoo-in for any work within the real estate market. To help you easily choose the job that’ll take the reins of your financial future, we’ve listed 15 best-paying jobs in the real estate investment trusts industry.
1. Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents help REITs buy or sell properties. Whether you’re looking to shake things up from your career for better pay or get away from the 9 to 5 office gig, real estate remains a desirable career path for most people.
Becoming a real estate agent offers great variety – you won’t be doing the same thing every day. You get to be your own boss working from home.
The general rundown of becoming a real estate agent is to take a test to get a license. However, you’ll need more than a test to be an excellent real estate agent. You have to be skilled and personable to oversee real estate transactions.
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Real Estate Investment Analyst
A real estate investment trust analyst involves researching, analyzing, and monitoring real estate market trends to make an informed decision about the viability of an asset. This analysis is based on factors such as occupancy and demographic changes in a given market.
For REIT analysts, a background in asset management or an excellent insight into finance or accounting is a significant advantage. As a REIT analyst, you must use several financial analysis tools to create financial models. Other criteria for a position as a real estate investment trust analyst include:
- In-depth know-how of the local real estate market
- Analytical skills
- Organizational skills
- Research abilities
3. Capital Market Analyst
The truth is that a real estate investment trust uses as much leverage as possible to build a high return on investment. A capital market analyst analyses, evaluates, models, and monitors finances tied to real estate investment trusts.
Regardless of interest rates, an invaluable capital market analyst can develop financial risk strategies to avoid losses and achieve as high returns as possible.
4. Property Developer
Real estate property developers are responsible for deciding to invest in a property to develop. Most real estate developers work on commercial properties such as retail spaces and travel and leisure developments.
A real estate developer works closely with clients to manage the tasks involved in the development and selling process of properties. A few of these tasks include:
- Buying land
- Help in the financing of a real estate transaction
- Negotiating costs and terms with contractors
- Work with contractors to design and construct a building
- Determine how to market the structure and win clients
While traditional education is not required to become a real estate developer, experience and market insights would prove invaluable. Below are tips for becoming a real estate property developer:
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Use your prowess to find your space in the market
Real estate property development has attractive career paths – you want to establish your expertise in one area. You can focus on either the residential or commercial real estate properties or one of the development processes such as renovations or management.
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Familiarize yourself with the real estate policies
To be proficient in your job, you must understand all the state and local policies, such as zoning requirements. Understanding these policies will save you time dealing with viable assets and help you maintain your properties in line with the current safety codes.
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Establish a collaboration with reliable and experienced professionals
Real estate developers interact highly with professionals across many disciplines. Some include attorneys who collaborate to structure your business to architects who design your buildings. If you’re looking for a well-rounded real estate development team, be sure to include dependable professionals for each stage of the development process.
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Build connections with real estate investors
Chances are, you may not be in a position to fund a real estate project all by yourself, especially if the property requires high capital investment. So, you will need to find investors willing to fund your project. Building a real estate portfolio and listing all your successful projects can help you make your network and present yourself as a real estate professional.
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Commit to a real estate market and investment strategy
Understand the demographics of the established or up-and-coming areas that might interest you. For example, if you want to build in a place full of retirees looking to downsize, you’d want to buy land and develop small single-family homes instead of condos.
Cities with more residents and businesses might have competitive real estate markets while others are not hot. As you become more versatile in your local real estate markets, it’s also vital that you learn about investment strategies to determine whether you want to invest in residential or commercial real estate development.
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5. Property Manager
Many real estate investment trusts own properties that have more than one tenant. These will require property managers to keep the current tenants happy and attract new ones. A property manager is responsible for leasing, collecting the rent, and budgeting property maintenance.
Although property management is not a complicated job, managing these tasks in an organized and fast way is essential to avoid time or money wastage. The average salary of a property manager ranges from $60,000 to $120,000. It might differ depending on where you work. Property managers are among the highest-paid in the real estate sector.
6. Real Estate Attorney Jobs
This is one of the best-paying jobs in real estate investment trusts; thus, an excellent opportunity if you’re looking to work in a real estate firm. There’s an increasing demand for real estate attorneys due to their knowledge of business/transactional law and contract clarity issues. They provide critical legal support to the real estate investment trust industry.
A real estate attorney acts as a mediator when solving issues including asset ownership, transfer issues, title deed issuance, and document review relating to real estate holdings. In addition, they can prepare contracts, offer legal advice to clients on buying and investing, and represent mortgage REITs lenders at closing.
7. Director of Acquisitions
A director of acquisitions in real estate finds new investment properties for the real estate investment trust company. Typically, the director works hand in hand with their analysts to assess potential investments and identify the risks and rewards involved to recommend to their superiors.
Directors of acquisitions are always looking for new and innovative investment opportunities that can help bolster the real estate investment trusts companies reinforce their growth. These investment opportunities can either be traditional real estate assets or creative ideas with the potential of becoming a viable business.
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8. Real Estate Investor Relations Manager
According to SEC standards, the investor relations manager (IR) oversees the relationship between a real estate investment trust company and its investors. One of the requirements of becoming an investor relations manager is a quick understanding of sophisticated financial information and breaking it into simple, easy-to-understand, and concise ways.
Also, the manager should be in a position to communicate the company’s financial performance and strategy to its investors and prepare annual reports and proxy statements. An undergraduate degree and background in accounting and finance are compulsory to qualify as an investor relations manager.
9. Accounting Manager
An accounting manager plays a critical role in the financial department of a REIT firm. The manager examines and combines all financial statements, oversees the company’s overall economic well-being, and helps make informed financial decisions.
In addition, the accountant handles all the financial outlooks, such as organizing and reporting financial information. To become a REIT accounting manager, you should have a bachelor’s degree and experience in finance and accounting.
10. Asset Manager
Asset management is one of the highest-paying occupations within the real estate investment trust industry. Asset managers oversight the operational and financial performance of assets in the REIT portfolio.
Most asset managers have a background in acquisitions or property management and rise through the ranks. You can easily find an asset management job within the real estate investment industry with the necessary skills and qualifications in finance, development, accounting, and acquisitions.
11. REIT Property Appraiser
A real estate property appraiser determines the value of commercial or residential properties depending on the market and economic factors. The REIT appraiser recognizes and reacts to these factors whenever there’s a need to settle a dispute about a property’s value or during the selling of the property to determine its value.
You must be licensed to become a real estate appraiser, depending on your state’s requirements. Additionally, you need a bachelor’s degree. You can review the approved appraiser training course through the Appraiser Qualification Board’s course approval program.
This is one of the jobs with increasing demand in the real estate investment trusts industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate of a property appraiser is projected to grow by 4% between 2020 – 2030, with a median annual salary of $61,340.
12. Leasing Consultant
Leasing consultants are the main sponsors and faces of the real estate industry. They meet and greet clients, tour potential tenants through a property, and help them make an informed decision on leasing.
To become a leasing consultant in the REIT industry, you need to be knowledgeable about the property you are showing and have expertise in the local rental market.
13. Real Estate Brokers
Real estate brokers are similar to real estate agents. Their only difference is who they work for. Predominantly, a real estate broker works for brokerage firms and can work independently with a background as a real estate agent for over three years.
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14. Financial Analyst
The primary role of a financial analyst in a REIT firm is evaluating and assessing the current and future financial health. This may include recommending REIT stocks, predicting potential earnings, and risk analysis.
The financial analysts may also help investment bankers spot new investment opportunities. The salaries of financial analysts depend on the company’s size, city, and experience level.
15. REIT analyst
A REIT analyst studies the market identifies opportunities, and eliminates possible critical financial risks to help the company make good decisions.
To become a REIT analyst, you need a degree in business management and strong research and analytical skills. Having prior experience in the or related field is a big plus.
Wrapping Up
Knowing how many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts is vital to see if it’s worth pursuing as a career. The real estate industry is snowballing due to the endless number of people looking for alternative ways of making more money. Investing in real estate is a promising career that can be done part-time or full-time. If you’re looking for higher-paying jobs, you should consider getting the relevant skills and qualifications before applying.
FAQS
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What is the main benefit of working in real estate investment trusts?
Working in REIT firms has a slew of advantages. The most appealing is high dividend yields compared to the average S&P 500 share. Real estate investment trusts must pay 90% of their taxable income to REIT shareholders.
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Is real estate investment trusts a good career path?
Yes. Real estate investing provides some of the best job opportunities with a potential annual salary of $75,000. You should consider investing in real estate investment trusts if you have strong finance, real estate, and research expertise.
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Can you make good money with REITs?
The high dividend yield makes the REIT industry an attractive investment option if you’re looking for passive income or are retired.
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Which is the highest income-generating real estate job?
The best-paying jobs available in real estate depend on your skills, type of REIT (commercial or residential REIT), your work history, and the company’s geographic location.
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Which is the easiest way to invest in REITs?
The easiest way to invest in REITs is through mutual funds by buying an index fund. You can also use the Exchange-traded funds. However, most investment advisors advise using index funds over ETFs since they have lower annual fees of 0.05%.
