Understanding how many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and if there is a good career path when joining one are essential considerations when contemplating the industry. REITs are similar to mutual funds, can be traded on major stock exchanges, and typically own or finance income-producing properties in the real estate market across a broad range of sectors, including residential, multi-family, commercial, and industrial.
Typical jobs with equity REITs involve property management. They include positions such as property managers, REIT analysts, financial analysts, investor relations managers, property development managers, property developers, and portfolio managers. Each can be very fulfilling and rewarding, personally and professionally.
How many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts?
Depending on market conditions, 3000+ direct REIT jobs and 3M+ indirect jobs are available.
Many job seekers gravitate towards managing real estate properties because they offer some of the best-paying jobs and feature numerous opportunities to thrive in the industry. Working in the REIT sector is no different, and the number of jobs available makes it a great industry to consider. Remember that if you are interested in becoming a real estate agent or broker, working for a REIT is not a typical place to start.
Is real estate investment trusts a good career path?
Yes, REITs offer good career path opportunities in portfolio management, real estate asset management, investment management, customer service, finance, and construction.
It’s not unheard of, or even uncommon, for an entry-level professional at a REIT to move their way up and become a manager, director, vice president, division president, or key executive. The challenge, however, is finding the REIT that provides the best fit and opportunity for career growth based on your background, education, years of experience, and passion.
What types of jobs are available in a real estate investment trust?
- Property Manager
- REIT Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Tax Accountant
- Lease Administrator
- Investor Relations Manager
- Portfolio Manager
- Real Estate Property Appraiser
- Customer Service Representative
- Accounts Payable Manager
- Accounts Receivable Manager
- Regional Director
- Divisional Director
- President
- COO
- CEO
What types of properties are common in a real estate investment trust portfolio?
- Shopping centers
- Office buildings
- Apartment buildings
- Commercial real estate
- Residential properties
- Single-family homes for rent
- Multi-family buildings
- Shopping malls
- Commercial properties
- Self-storage buildings
- Data centers
- Health care properties
At MatchBuilt, we’ve worked on search assignments and helped place candidates with many of the leading REITs, homebuilders, developers, and general contractors nationwide. We know first-hand how incredible a career in the industry can be. There are multiple job opportunities within real estate investment trusts, and more are coming up as the industry grows. Here we’ll explore how many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts, if there is a good career path, and tips on applying and interviewing for open positions.
Real Estate Investment Trusts Explained
Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, own or finance income-producing real estate across several property sectors. REITs allow companies and individual investors to invest in real estate without owning any property.
Buying into a REIT means investing in a company that earns rental income from its real estate assets. These companies do not purchase real estate to resell; they act as property managers to operate them to generate profits from lease and rent payments. A real estate investor may be interested in investing in a REIT because it diversifies their portfolio among numerous properties.
Real estate investment trusts are investment vehicles where investors can pool their money and distribute it in various real estate investments. They do so through companies that acquire and run real estate assets for their investors. Therefore, you can invest in real estate without directly being involved in asset management.
A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-generating real estate. Modeled after mutual funds, REITs pool the capital of numerous investors. This makes it possible for individual investors to earn dividends from real estate investments without buying, managing, or financing any properties themselves.
How many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts?
Depending on market conditions, 3000+ direct REIT jobs and 3M+ indirect jobs are available
The real estate industry is broad and therefore has so many career paths that you can take. In the real estate investment trusts category, job boards like Linkedin, ZipRecruiter, and Indeed have between 1000 and 3000+ jobs listed in total. Whether you want to be a research analyst, a director of asset management, a portfolio manager, or a capital markets associate, there are many opportunities to choose from.
Further, you can get any job in the real estate investment trust niche and grow your career there. Start your job search by browsing different job boards and checking the positions listed under REITs to see what job opportunities in the industry appeal to you.
Is real estate investment trusts a good career path?
Yes, real estate investment trusts provide good career paths in real estate management, asset management, financial analysis, leasing, construction, development, and more. For any trust to succeed, it needs multiple experienced professionals to maximize its shareholder return.
REIT Career Paths
Potential career paths in real estate investment trusts vary but here are a few examples:
Property & Portfolio Management
Superintendent < Assistant Property Manager < Property Manager < Asset Manager < Investment Director < Division Manager < Region Manager
Leasing
Leasing Associate < Leasing Manager < Marketing Manager < Director of Leasing < Property Manager < Asset Manager < Investment Director < Division Manager < Region Manager
Land Acquisition
Land Analyst < Land Acquisition Manager < Director of Land Acquisition < Asset Manager < Investment Director < Division Manager < Region Manager
Land Development
Land Project Manager < Land Development Manager < Director of Land Development < Asset Manager < Investment Director < Division Manager < Region Manager
Finance
Financial Analyst < Investment Analyst < Financial Manager < Director of Finance or Controller Asset Manager < Investment Director < Division Manager < Region Manager
REIT Job Opportunities
Also, many REITs today, compared to years ago, have created multiple job opportunities for people in the US and worldwide. Below is a list of jobs you can get in real estate investment trust companies.
- Commercial Developer
- Construction Supervisor
- Financial Analyst
- Acquisition Team Member
- Marketing Coordinator
- Research Analyst
- Property Manager
- REIT Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Tax Accountant
- Lease Administrator
- Investor Relations Manager
- Portfolio Manager
- Real Estate Property Appraiser
- Customer Service Representative
- Accounts Payable Manager
- Accounts Receivable Manager
- Regional Director
- Divisional Director
- President
- COO
- CEO
The critical thing to note is that salaries vary based on where the job is and what the company offers for that position. However, most of the above jobs pay competitive salaries with excellent benefits. Choosing a job is important based on which part of the real estate investment trust you want to work on.
Applying for the job you are best suited for is advisable based on what you studied in school or what you have been doing before joining the REIT industry. For example, if you did finance and accounting, you should apply for a position like financial analyst because you have the skills necessary to do a great job.
If you’re considering jobs with REITs, we have great articles that can assist with the job search. We invite you to browse the site for insightful posts on how to improve your LinkedIn profile for recruiters, build a great resume, and answer common interview questions, such as “Why do you want to work here?“, “What is your greatest achievement” “Tell me about yourself,” “What are you passionate about?“, “What areas need improvement?” and “Why should we hire you?”.
What are the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts?
Due to the various tasks involved in real estate investment trusts, there are many well-paying careers in the industry.
The highest-paid positions are leasing professionals, portfolio managers, asset managers, and acquisition managers. However, many other jobs in the industry can be lucrative and provide strong upward development potential. Many of the highest-paying jobs in the real estate investment trust industry will require a diploma or technical degree with extensive related experience.
How much money can you earn working for a real estate investment trust?
The amount of money you make in any job highly depends on the company you are working for and your experience and education. Big companies with high-profit margins tend to pay their employees more than small ones. In the same way, small REIT companies will have smaller salary rates based on the profits they make.
Payscale estimates that the average base salary for people in the REIT industry is about $75,000 per year. That confirms that REIT jobs are highly lucrative and often pay better than other industries.
For example, a senior analyst can earn about $80,000 – $90,000 a year. Lead and senior analyst jobs are the most common jobs in the industry, meaning that they pay way more than the median average base salary. However, these figures are just estimates and could vary from company to company.
How many real estate investment trust jobs are created every year?
REITs have multiple fast-growing categories within the industry. Many new openings are created annually, from construction to finance to property management and asset management. In fact, more than 1000 jobs are being created in the sector annually, which is likely to rise in the coming years.
As it is, the real estate investment trust industry needs consultants, managers, lawyers, analysts, accountants, and many other high-level professionals to keep it running.
How many real estate investment trusts are there?
As of December 2021, the total number of REITs worldwide was 865, and the total equity market capitalization was $2.5 trillion. That number keeps growing as about 30 years ago; there were just 120 listed REITs in only two countries.
Today, you can find listed real estate investment trusts in more than forty countries and regions, including the United States. There are many real estate investment trusts in the US, although most are privately owned. Many are publicly available and traded on the major stock exchange markets. In fact, REITs are among the significant contributors to the country’s GDP.
What is an example of a REIT job description?
Below is a sample job description for an Associate Asset Manager for a real estate investment trust.
Associate Asset Manager Job Description
About Your Role
The Associate of Asset Management is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the performance of select assets within the portfolio.
Though we are based in Los Angeles, this role is fully remote
Must be qualified to work in the US.What You’ll Do:
- Review provided financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, for financial accuracy and adherence to accounting standards
- Review quarterly reporting to understand the status of property investment
- Produce Excel financial models to the re-forecast performance of individual properties
- Do market research using CoStar and Axiometrics to understand any shifts in the market post-property acquisition
- Build relationships with Operating Partners to get questions answered regarding the ongoing status of their projects
- Prepare quarterly Investor Updates, including qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Draft and disseminate property-level updates to investors
- Review operating agreements to confirm distribution amounts are accurate based on distribution waterfalls as documented in the operating agreement
- Provide quality control for all distributions to ensure our investors are being paid accurately
- Work with an outside accounting firm to produce and QC K-1s annually
- Respond to investor questions regarding the performance of assets
- Other ad hoc projects, as required
Who You Are:
- 2-4 years of experience working for a real estate private equity firm, asset manager, or acquisitions
- Highly detail-oriented
- Proficient communicator with the ability to write investor communications
- Experience reviewing and digesting real estate operating agreements required
- Experience modeling equity waterfalls in Excel required
- Ability to read and understand JV Operating Agreements
- Understanding of accounting and the ability to read financial statements required
- Experience with CoStar preferred
What are the largest REITs with the most jobs?
As of 2022, the world’s largest publicly traded REITs with the most job openings are:
| REIT | Market Cap | Dividend Yield | Property Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prologis (NYSE: PLD) | $116.4B | 2.03% | Industrial |
| American Tower (NYSE: AMT) | $109.8B | 2.38% | Communications |
| Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI | $76.8B | 3.35% | Communications |
| Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) | $65.9B | 2.14% | Self-storage |
| Equinix (NYSE: EQIX) | $64.4B | 1.74% | Data centers |
| Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) | $48.9B | 5.07% | Malls |
| Welltower (NYSE: WELL) | $43.0B | 2.58% | Healthcare |
| Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) | $40.1B | 3.55% | Data centers |
| Realty Income (NYSE: O) | $40.1B | 4.44% | Commercial |
| AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) | $34.6B | 2.62% | Residential |
How To Become A Real Estate Investment Trust Professional
Like any other profession, real estate investment trust industry jobs require specific skills to help you do the job well. Those skills include finance, sales, accounting, investing, and soft skills.
Soft skills help you navigate the workplace and feel more comfortable working in a team. Any job in the REIT industry will be a high-pressure job because a lot depends on the results of the job. Therefore, you should only go into REIT careers if you are passionate about them.
That way, the work will seem more manageable, and the results will be way better than they should be. As mentioned earlier, a business-related degree is a plus for anyone pursuing a career in real estate investment trusts.
The real estate industry is about doing business and earning a strong return. Therefore, knowing how to conduct business will help you deliver on the job you get in the REIT industry. You will be interacting with investors, clients, and other professionals on the job, which is why interpersonal skills are essential.
Job Requirements at a Real Estate Investment Trust Company
The two essential requirements when looking for any job are skills and experience. Real estate investing and management requires education in the fields that matter, including accounting, finance, business, and economics. A degree in any of the above fields will get you a step closer to your dream job in the REIT industry. Further, if you have worked in a relevant field like accounting, law, and investment banking before, that could be an added advantage.
Knowledge of mergers, acquisitions, and land development is essential for high-ranking jobs. However, requirements depend on the specific company. You could find a REIT company that only wants a degree, and the rest you will learn on the job. For other companies like startups, experience makes more sense for someone in a managerial position. Ensure you check the job requirements before applying to a REIT job to avoid disappointments.
Other Jobs Available In The Real Estate Investing Space
The real estate investing space has so many jobs that anyone can work in the industry. People are investing in real estate and getting returns from their investment portfolios, and these are the people who want to grow their wealth through various investments.
For investors, you do not have to be involved in daily real estate management to make money. Your money is what works for you. The management is left to another category of workers who develop and manage the properties for the investors. That is another opportunity for high-paying jobs in the REIT industry.
The last category of jobs is the support service providers. Developing and managing real estate requires a lot of support service providers like builders, caretakers, designers, and others who make the dream work.
How many jobs are available at REITs Summary
If you are passionate about the real estate industry and are looking for a job with great opportunities for career growth, real estate investment trusts should be worthy of your consideration. The industry keeps expanding, and more employees must keep the profits streaming in.
Learning about how many jobs are available in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and if there is a good career path when joining one are essential considerations when contemplating the industry. REITs are similar to mutual funds, can be traded on major stock exchanges, and typically own or finance income-producing properties in the real estate market across a broad range of sectors, including residential, multi-family, commercial, and industrial.
Typical jobs with equity REITs involve property management and feature positions such as property managers, REIT analysts, financial analysts, investor relations managers, property development managers, property developers, and portfolio managers.
