CRE Finance Careers & Career Paths
In CRE finance, you’re most often responsible for managing a portfolio of real estate assets and making educated decisions based on research and analysis. What are some of the job titles under the umbrella of CRE finance where there are job opportunities?
- CRE investment analyst
- Asset management
- Asset management analyst
- Financial reporting manager
- Capital markets associate
- Real estate accountant
- Chief financial officer
- Investment analyst/associate
Commercial Real Estate Finance Education
- Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field
- Master's degree (MBA or MFin) preferred
- Certifications: CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CREFC (Center for Real Estate Finance), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
Career Fields for Finance
What fields do those in commercial real estate finance work in? What types of businesses hire commercial real estate portfolio managers besides investment funds? These are examples of companies that employ CRE accountants, associates, and asset managers:
- Commercial banks
- Management corporations
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Private equity firms
- Real estate development companies
- CRE brokerage firms
- Hedge funds
- Institutional investors
Keywords That Employers Look For
Your resume and profile will stand out among applicants when you use the language that hiring firms look for in CRE finance. Focus not only on hard skills, such as public accounting experience, financial reporting, and knowledge of real estate investment fundamentals but also soft skills such as excellent written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask.
Hard skills for CRE finance jobs
- Financial modeling: Proficiency in creating and analyzing complex financial models.
- Market analysis: Knowledge of the commercial real estate industry and ability to analyze market conditions.
- Due diligence: Researching and reporting on potential properties and assets.
- Underwriting: Evaluating the risk of commercial properties.
- Lease administration: Managing lease agreements and ensuring the terms of the agreement are being met.
- Portfolio account management: Responsible for monthly and yearly financial reporting for a firm’s real estate transactions.
- Tax compliance: Knowledge of state and federal taxes to ensure compliance.
Soft skills for CRE finance jobs
- Communication: Ability to effectively communicate company finance information to the rest of the firm.
- Integrity: Professional integrity with company finances and bookkeeping.
- Analytical ability: Capability in analyzing quantitative data and drawing informed conclusions.
- Attention to detail: Detail-oriented, focused on company success.
- Adaptive: Able to shift, multitask, and change priorities in a dynamic work environment.
- Technically savvy: Capable with accounting software as well as other financial reporting programs and platforms.
Software tools and apps that CRE finance professionals use
- Financial modeling and analysis: Microsoft Excel, Workiva, Argus Enterprise, Stessa
- Property management: Yardi, Vista, DoorLoop, MRI Commercial Management, Intapp
- Accounting: Yardi, Nexus, Payscan, Appfolio
- Data and market research: Biscred, CoStar, Real Capital Analytics, REIS, SNL Real Estate, Capital IQ, Orbis, Crunchbase, FactSet, Bloomberg Terminal
- Presentation and visualization: Microsoft PowerPoint, ThinkCell, Tableau, Qlik
- Document management and collaboration: Microsoft SharePoint, iDeals, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive
- Risk management and compliance: Intapp Conflicts, Intapp Employee Compliance, Compliance.ai, ComplySci
- Startup and private company data: Biscred, Crunchbase, Tracxn, Preqin
- Project management: Asana, Trello, Monday, Wrike, Zoho Projects, Teamwork, Jira, Basecamp, Clarizen
Commercial real estate finance: industry outlook
- Median salary U.S.: Ranges between $101,309 and $232,000 per year or $50 to $111.54 per hour
- Projected job growth: 9% per year through 2033
- Employment 2023: 404,800
- Employment projected 2032: 442,700
- Top 5 states for CRE finance jobs (number of jobs, annual mean wage):
- New York (49,220, $143,330)
- California (35,660, $125,220)
- Texas (25,660, $103,590)
- Florida (18,070, $96,010)
- Illinois (17,060, $120,390)
- Top industries (percentage of industry employment):
- Investment pools and funds (8.72%)
- Securities, commodity contracts, financial investments and related activities (7.95%)
- Monetary authorities — central bank (2.7%)
- Management of companies and enterprises (1.61%)
- Non-depository credit intermediation (1.51%)
CRE finance licensure, certification, and professional associations
- CFA: Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
- CPA: Certified Public Accountant
- CREFC: Center for Real Estate Finance
