Top 15 Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts (Updated 2023)

Top 15 Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts   

Real estate is a fantastic industry to look into if you’re thinking about changing careers. As the demand for new homes rises both domestically and internationally, real estate prices appear to be increasing forever.

Real estate is the apex investment opportunity for millions serious about generating real wealth.

At the same time, not everyone has the money to invest in real estate. Especially not at the scale necessary to really transform your financial future forever.

That’s where Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) come into play. They make it possible for anyone to get into real estate investing without having to have a huge bankroll.

One of the hottest investment asset classes on the market today, the career opportunities in this field are absolutely exploding. Below we highlight the top 15 best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts that you’ll want to look into for sure.

What is a Job in the Real Estate Investment Trust Industry?

Jobs in the real estate investment trust industry are pretty diverse, with some jobs focusing on the real estate investing side of things and others more interested in client management, business management, and actual asset management.

At the end of the day, though, all of these jobs revolve around the exciting real estate investment trust opportunities available today.

As mentioned earlier, REITs have opened up a brand-new asset class to millions of people that would have loved to get into large-scale real estate investments but just didn’t have the cash or capital necessary to jump right in.

These investments share a lot in common with mutual funds, but have the added benefit of enjoying the returns on real estate value increases you just won’t find anywhere else.

If you love the investing world and want to build a career in it, finding a job in the REIT industry is right up your alley.

Are Real Estate Investment Trust Jobs a Good Career Path?

Real estate investment trust assets are as popular today as they’ve ever been, and the popularity is only continuing to grow year after year.

Already bringing in revenues north of $229.3 billion (as of 2022), these investments are already holding $4.5 trillion in gross real estate assets – and REITs are expected to get larger and larger as time goes on.

The rate of growth is explosive with earnings for companies in the REITs industry growing by 9.9%, year after year, for the last three years. This is a snowball that’s getting bigger and bigger, and that means there are going to be a ton of jobs available in this industry.

Top 15 Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts

You also shouldn’t miss these other popular posts in the best paying jobs category:

1. Acquisition Specialist

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Acquisition Specialist

Median Salary – $110,000

Education – Business Degree and RE License

Projected Growth – 6% Over 10 Years

Easily one of the most exciting career opportunities in the REIT industry, acquisition specialists are responsible for finding new real estate deals, putting together research packages, and then presenting them to the leadership and investment team for further evaluation.

If you like the idea of hunting for new real estate opportunities, inspecting new potential investments, and putting together pitch packages to help grow the wealth and portfolio of REIT businesses this is going to be right up your alley.

A lot of companies hiring for these kinds of jobs are looking for individuals with a business degree, but that isn’t necessarily a requirement set in stone. Applicants will want to have a real estate license, though.

2. Asset Manager

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Asset Manager

Median Salary – $84,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 3% Over 10 Years

While acquisition specialists hunt for new opportunities and new investments, asset managers are responsible for making sure that all assets and properties owned by the REIT are running smoothly.

It’s not unusual for asset managers to run reports on assets, to inspect assets and recommend upgrades or improvements. It’s also not unusual for these professionals to coordinate with financial managers, accounting managers, and property developers to get a better feel for how the portfolio is put together.

A bachelor’s degree in either accounting, finance, or real estate management will give applicants a huge leg up when looking to get started in this career.

3. Foreclosure Specialist

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Foreclosure Specialist

Median Salary – $78,000

Education – High School Diploma or Equivalent

Projected Growth – 4% Over 10 Years

Foreclosure specialists operate on a similar kind of wavelength to acquisition specialists, but these experts really hone in and laser focus on foreclosure opportunities.

Usually leading a team of real estate acquisition specialists, foreclosure specialists inspect foreclosures in a given area, identify potential investment prospects, present those findings to the leadership team, and then actually purchase or sell those foreclosed homes.

Some REIT organizations will also pair foreclosure specialists up with clients in an effort to help them avoid foreclosures, combining buyers with sellers that are facing foreclosure to avoid the long-term financial repercussions these kinds of situations inevitably result in.

4. Investment Analyst

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Investment Analyst

Median Salary – $115,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 10% Over 10 Years

There’s always a lot of money moving around in the REIT industry, and that means that analysts need to be on top of things – making sure that investment funds are being used intelligently to grow the wealth of the REIT portfolio.

Investment analysts work within the Department of Finance for REIT organizations, collaborating closely with other team members to better understand the financials behind acquiring new assets, holding current assets, and selling assets in the future.

Everything that these professionals do are designed to maximize the investments under control but also to closely look at potential new investments in the pipeline.

5. Investor Relations Manager

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Investor Relations Manager

Median Salary – $103,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 8% Over 10 Years

All legitimate REIT organizations have investor relations managers on board, professionals that are charged with being the “front facing” component of these investment operations.

An investor relations manager is going to communicate directly with investors, helping them better understand the short and long-term goals but also answering any and all questions these investors might have.

This position goes far beyond just a communications position, though. These experts need to be seasoned executive managers, have a solid understanding of accounting and real estate investing, and it’s even better if they are comfortable with real estate law and marketing.

A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, law, or business management is usually enough to get your foot in the door.

6. Lease Consultant

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Lease Consultant

Median Salary – $98,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 3% Over 10 Years

Oftentimes the lease consultants working for REIT operations have designated areas that they get to know front to back, top to bottom, when it comes to all of the different leasable properties in that region.

These consultants will keep track of these leasable properties, pitch properties as they become available, and coordinate with the owners of those properties (often local) and the REIT operation to make sure that these deals come together.

There’s a lot of inside information that leasing consultants have that people outside of these local areas wouldn’t. That makes them very valuable and well compensated because of it.

7. Property Developer

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Property Developer

Median Salary – $91,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 3% Over 10 Years

Property developers are kind of like the conductor of an orchestra when it comes to real estate projects.

These are the men and women responsible for envisioning new real estate projects, drawing up plans (conjunction with the right professionals), and putting the right people in the right positions to make these plans come true.

On top of that, property developers are also responsible for the day-to-day management of general contractors and tradespeople working on the project itself. It’s not at all odd for property developers to coordinate with subcontractors, handle scheduling, and generally keep these projects rocking and rolling, either.

8. Property Manager

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Property Manager

Median Salary – $105,000

Education – High School or Equivalent

Projected Growth – 3% Over 10 Years

Easily one of the top 15 best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts today, the best thing about this specific career is that it doesn’t require you to have a tremendous amount of formal education to break-in or to succeed.

Sure, advanced degrees (or even just a bachelor’s degree in things like business administration, accounting, finance, etc.) will help you have a leg up. But a lot of property managers are hired – and make six-figure salaries – with nothing more than a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Property managers are (no surprise here) responsible for managing the portfolio of properties held by REITs.

This usually means collecting rent, making sure the properties are filled with tenants, acting as a liaison between the tenants and the REIT, securing and maintaining the properties, handling evictions, and things of that nature.

9. Real Estate Appraiser

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Real Estate Appraiser

Median Salary – $88,000

Education – Real Estate Experience and an Appraiser License

Projected Growth – 8% Over 10 Years

Another of the top 15 best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts that do not require a lot of extra education, real estate property appraisers work to determine the fair market value for assets that REITs are looking to purchase or already own and want to sell.

There’s a lot that goes into working as a real estate appraiser. Those serious about succeeding in this career are going to want to be sure that they have at least some experience in real estate and have secured an appraiser’s license.

Professionals will study the condition of the properties they are appraising, check comparable properties in the area, and find a way to quantify the other aspects of the property and the area that will impact the overall value of the real estate, like public utilities and other amenities.

These reports will then be shared with REIT teams and leadership, giving them a better idea of the investments they are getting into, holding, or getting ready to sell.

10. Real Estate Attorney

Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts-Real Estate Attorney

Median Salary – $118,000

Education – Law Degree and Professional Certifications

Projected Growth – 10% Over 10 Years

All real estate transactions are relatively complex transactions, with often convoluted contracts that need to be sorted out. Nothing can be left to chance with these kinds of deals.

Not with so much money on the line.

This is why REITs regularly employ small armies of real estate attorneys. These attorneys have law degrees as well as a licence to practice in a specific state (or multiple states) – as well as a lot of experience working on real estate law to begin with.

11. Real Estate Investor

Median Salary – $147,000

Education – High School or Equivalent

Projected Growth – 3% Over 10 Years

The “tip of the spear” when it comes to actually investing in real estate, REITs hire real estate investors to be the people actually executing the real estate investments themselves.

People that pursue this kind of career almost always have some sort of background in real estate, from real estate development or property development to being a realtor or just working in a Realty agency.

Real estate investors need to have a whole host of different skills, including the ability to quickly appraise a property accurately, to find investment opportunities others are overlooking, and to put together or secure cash and capital necessary to add these properties to an REIT fund.

12. REIT Accountant

Median Salary – $115,000

Education – Finance Degree and Professional Certifications

Projected Growth – 5% Over 10 Years

It’s hard to get any deals done in the real estate world when you don’t have a firm understanding of your financial situation. That’s where REIT accountants come into play.

Responsible for auditing financial documents, keeping accurate books, drawing up reports like cash flow and profit and loss documents, but generally just making sure that REITs are financially viable – and ideally growing more and more profitable – these positions are always in demand.

A finance degree is a minimum requirement for REIT accountant careers. CPA’s are preferred by a lot of the bigger firms in the industry, and are one of the qualifications needed for best paying jobs in Major Banks.

13. REIT Analyst

Median Salary – $91,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 9% Over 10 Years

REIT analysts are always keeping their finger on the pulse of real estate markets they are responsible for.

They look at the real estate market in general (both macro and micro), looking to better understand trendlines and anticipate how the markets are going to look today, tomorrow, and into the future.

Always utilizing cutting edge technology to conduct research and analysis, it’s not unusual for REIT analysts to also be analyzing assets under management by the REIT firm they work for.

14. REIT Portfolio Manager

Median Salary – $178,000

Education – Bachelor’s Degree

Projected Growth – 7% Over 10 Years

This career is a lot like an asset manager, though these positions are usually a little bit lower on the corporate hierarchy.

All REIT portfolio managers are going to be provided with an in-depth look at the portfolio under management right now as well as real estate information about potential properties available in an assigned area.

REIT portfolio managers work to support asset managers, feeding them raw intel broken down into detailed reports so that they can make smart investment recommendations to the REIT firm.

15. REIT Tax Specialist

Median Salary – $108,000

Education – Finance Degree, MBA, and Professional Certifications

Projected Growth – 4% Over 10 Years

One of the biggest advantages to investing in real estate is the tax benefits available – and many of those tax benefits are available to those that own properties in REITs, too.

Some people might think this is a bit of a dull and soulless kind of job, but nothing could be further from the truth.

These professionals are incredibly valuable, critical to the success of REITs. People in these positions need to understand real estate tax law but also need to be able to provide insight and recommendations to REIT leadership about how to best leverage tax breaks and benefits as well.

It’s not at all odd for these people to be some of the most highly paid individuals in any REIT operation.

Closing Thoughts

There are a lot of reasons to pursue some of the top 15 best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts today.

For starters, these careers are some of the most lucrative in the real estate world right now. There’s a lot of opportunity here to make a lot of money very early in your career (and much more later on).

Secondly, real estate is and will always be highly in demand. That means there’s always going to be demand for REITs and a lot of job security because of that.

Finally, these careers are always very fulfilling. They are challenging, exciting, interesting, and can help people meet all of their professional goals in ways that other career fields might not be able to.

These are great careers to build!

FAQs

What’s the easiest way to get involved in the real estate investment trust world?

The easiest way to get involved in the REIT industry is to first get experience in your local real estate community. Join a real estate firm, pursue your realtor license, and learn the business from the inside out before looking to specialize in a REIT career.

Are there a lot of career growth opportunities in the real estate investment industry?

The amount of growth opportunities available in the REIT world are almost infinite. A lot of these career fields are growing at exponential rates (we are talking about 10% growth over 10 years or more), with plenty of room for promotions as well.

Can people without advanced degrees get a start in the real estate investment industry?

Yes, people without advanced degrees are going to be able to get a start in the REIT industry. You can begin by getting your real estate license and working as a realtor or you can pursue property management and other positions that don’t necessarily require a college education.

Josh Hutcheson

E-Learning Specialist in Online Programs & Courses Linkedin

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