FIND YOUR DIRECTION
Career roadmaps
Explore eight real estate paths, then build a small piece of practical experience.
Acquisitions
Evaluate properties and help an investment team decide what to buy and at what price.
Typical responsibilities
- Screen opportunities and research comparable sales and rents.
- Build cash-flow models, test assumptions, and summarize investment risks.
- Coordinate due diligence and prepare investment committee materials.
Skills to build
- Excel and financial modeling
- Valuation, NOI, cap rates, and return analysis
- Research, attention to detail, and concise writing
Your learning roadmap
- Learn the fundamentalsRead a rent roll and operating statement; explain how income becomes NOI.
- Practice underwritingBuild a simple acquisition model with rent, vacancy, expenses, financing, and an exit assumption.
- Build experienceLook for acquisitions or investment analyst internships and practice presenting a defensible buy/pass recommendation.
Illustrative progression
Intern → analyst → associate → acquisitions manager or director
Titles and routes vary by employer; this is a learning guide, not a guaranteed promotion sequence.
Put it into practice
Prepare a one-page investment memo for today’s deal challenge. Include the price you would pay and the assumptions behind it.
Try the deal challengeExplore further
Role summaries draw on the A.CRE career guide and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics profiles for brokers and agents, financial analysts, and property managers. See also the BLS loan officer profile. Learning exercises are club practice suggestions.
Licensing and role requirements vary by state and activity. Consult the relevant state regulator before performing regulated work.