Real estate is a field that is always in demand. People will always need houses, want to move, or want to sell their houses, and that is where you can come in. Every job in real estate is equally important, but getting involved in real estate investment trusts brings security and more money than if you did it by yourself.
This article covers the 12 best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts, so you can be confident in always having a job, and earning a good income for years and years to come.
12 Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts
1. Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, is always at the top of the company. This means that it pays the most, but is also harder to get into the job. You usually need at least twenty years of experience in that job sector, and have proven management experience in the process as you will be making big decisions that can heavily change the future of the business.
For this position, you would get up to $500,000 a year, and you may also get bonuses. However, around $450,000 is more in the average pay range.
2. Real Estate Investment Trust Analyst
A real estate investment trust analyst has the job of developing strategies for new real estate opportunities by researching current trends and developing a strategy. They are the main voice for investment decisions and what the business depends on to make good investment choices.
For this job, you often need a Bachelor’s degree in finance or real estate and you can get paid somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000 a year.
3. Finance Manager
As the name suggests, a finance manager focuses on the finances of several projects assigned to them. Most of the time, finance managers never leave a desk, and work on budgets, projects, and forecasts for future finances.
They make sure nothing in the budget gets overlooked, and no one goes over material or contractor costs. They often report directly to the Chief Financial Officer.
A Bachelor’s degree in finance is required for this position and you get somewhere between $55,000 and $65,000 a year.
4. Property Developer
A property developer is a vital role in a real estate investment trust. They make sure builds are proceeding as planned and double-check the finances of their projects. They also are the ones that usually hire and fire the contractors.
They can also be involved in things like zoning, building codes, subdivision, and more. They may also have the job of finding investors and putting completed jobs on the market and getting the word out. Sometimes they are on their own, but more often they work with a team.
Usually, you need a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in real estate or business, and previous experience in the role before being hired. If you have interned or worked in a more junior role that is similar to a property developer, that is also often accepted.
This job can pay $80,000 to $100,000 a year.
5. Director of Real Estate and Facilities
A director of real estate and facilities has a lot of tasks. You can expect to have responsibilities including creating and negotiating leases, gathering new properties that have been approved by your financial team, managing the infrastructure of owned property, coming up with plans for development and growth, and more.
Since this job is so vital, having previous experience in real estate of some kind, and having a Bachelor’s in a related field is very important. It is a busy job, but since you get to dip your toes into so many projects and parts of the business, you have a good chance of advancing in your position and expanding your experience.
You can expect to start with about $130,000 on average.
6. Real Estate Agent
Of course, to buy and sell properties, you also need a real estate agent. As a real estate agent, you are the face of the business, as you are often the only person clients meet in person. You will work with clients of all kinds to help them find properties to buy, sell, and rent out.
There are specific exams that have to be passed for you to become a real estate agent. These exams usually focus on ethics, laws, and contracts centered around the kind of real estate agent you want to be and the area you want to work.
For real estate investment trusts, you have to be a commercial real estate agent specifically, as you will be handling various businesses and buildings as well as important financial data. To be a commercial real estate agent, a history in finance and business is necessary so you can better serve your clients.
Your pay is based upon commissions, so the more you buy and sell, the more money you get a year. This means there is a strong incentive to understand your area well to make the best sales. Unfortunately, this means you may also start out low on the income scale, and have to work your way up to higher pay.
On average, though, you can expect to make somewhere around $100,000 a year.
7. Chief Financial Officer
The second highest paying job for real estate investment trusts works the same as most other companies. Chief Finance Officers (CFOs) are focused on bringing success to the company. They find ways to save money, loopholes in taxes, sign off on payments for the staff, plan for the future, and invest in beneficial areas.
They also work with lenders and banks, and manage relationships between everyone to remain as amicable as possible.
They can get up to $350,000 a year, including bonuses.
8. Lawyer/Attorney
Any big company is going to need people able to protect them and make sure they aren’t breaking any laws, so being a lawyer or attorney isn’t just good for real estate investment trusts, but any big job and can allow you to move positions as needed.
Like with any on-call lawyer job, you would be expected to analyze any paperwork, understand the laws, and jump through legal hoops and loopholes as needed to benefit the company. An attorney is a step above that, and can stand for the company when it comes to legal issues.
Of course, you will need to have passed the bar exam and have a license recognizing you as able to practice law. Many of these licenses are specific to countries, so if you are to be working internationally, you will have to look at getting a new license.
This job is very level dependent and is based on how much you are needed and who else is on their legal team, however, you can often expect to get at least $100,000. Attorneys get a little more, and are also pretty high on the payment list, usually coming in fourth for the whole company.
Like a lawyer, the price range varies, but you can expect at least six figures.
9. Real Estate Investment Trust Investor
A real estate investment trust investor is the main force in determining and purchasing new acquisitions. This also means they are in charge of new construction, and sales. Sometimes, they may work with investors to make sure they are happy and willing to continue paying for new projects.
You will need a Bachelor’s degree in finance, real estate, business, economics, or a related field. You can earn somewhere between $130,000 and $160,000 for this position.
10. Chief Operating Officer
The third highest paying job also works similarly to other businesses and companies. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is also at the top of the list. A COO works on the teams. They make sure that all the projects are organized and done on time, everything is following the plan and budget, and there is enough support where needed.
A COO will oversee all the day-to-day operations based on reports given to them by teams to make sure everything is working properly and that every team is pulling its weight.
A COO gets up to $325,000 a year, including bonuses.
11. Property Manager
A property manager job is not an easy one to describe. They have very different roles depending on the company you work for. Even among all real estate investment trusts, there is a huge discrepancy in the job description. You can handle rentals, manage locations, or oversee a group of properties.
While theoretically, there is no experience required, a Bachelor’s in something related to the field is preferred, or a Bachelor’s in general. Also, having experience in real estate is highly preferred and may be necessary for some companies.
You can expect to earn somewhere between $70,000 and $120,000.
12. Investment Analysts
Investment analysts are another group of people that often stay behind a desk. They handle finances and acquisitions of properties for the trust. They are sort of the middle man to connect these two groups by keeping track of data, making sure it is accurate, and can add their own suggestions based on previous experience.
You will need a Bachelor’s in business, finance, investment management, or something else in a similar field. They can get paid anywhere between $100,000 and $130,000 a year, with bonuses for some trusts.
