If you’re majoring in business, finance, accounting or economics, you may be interested in the finance jobs available in real estate. Due to the complex financial system involved in underwriting loans in the real estate market, there is a diverse range of occupations related to this industry. Some of the specific job titles include loan underwriter, mortgage broker, investment banker, portfolio manager and investment analyst.
Requirements for a Career in Real Estate Finance
Competition for these jobs is strong, because they’re some of the highest-paying positions in the financial industry, and as a result, most employers hire applicants with advanced degrees, such as Master of Business Administration or Master of Finance. Depending on the type of job you’re applying for, however, a bachelor’s degree in business may be sufficient. Analyst positions typically require less education than portfolio management positions, because the latter type of job involves a great deal of responsibility and is similar in nature to the position of company CEO.
Investment analysts work for all types of firms, including pension funds, hedge funds, investment banks, insurance companies, commercial banks and credit unions. When working in the real estate industry, they spend most of their time dealing with borrowers and debt owners to make sure that payments are made on schedule and that borrowers have sufficient credit to take out loans. Debt is used as a source of monetary value and is traded between corporations, banks and other organizations in exchange for currency, equity, other debt and similar financial products.
How Firms Make Money
One of the biggest sources of income for banks working in the real estate market is the refinancing of loans and the underwriting of new loans for construction companies and corporate firms building new properties. Finance and business graduates are needed to facilitate these transactions and ensure that bank assets are handled properly. The more challenging job of portfolio manager involves more strategy and expertise in the execution of real estate transactions, and these jobs typically require advanced education as well as five to 10 years of experience in the finance or real estate industries.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, analyst positions are expected to increase by 16 percent over the next decade, and the median annual salary for these workers was $76,950 in 2012. Asset management positions are expected to grow somewhat more slowly at nine percent over the next decade, but the pay is substantially greater at $109,740 per year, on average.
There are also jobs available for financial sales agents selling financial products in the real estate market. These workers can be hired by investment banks as advisors to clients investing funds in real estate equity and debt. The median annual salary for this industry is $71,720, and the rate of growth over the next 10 years is expected to be 11 percent. Most colleges offer master’s degrees in the area of real estate, with courses covering the specific subject of real estate finance, and graduates with MBA or Master of Finance degrees can start as analysts or associates of a firm.
Related Resource: Money Management Jobs
The real estate industry is complex and requires a high degree of expertise to manage transactions and advise investors. If you have an interest in finance and alternative financial products, you may want to look at the finance jobs available in real estate.
