What does a real estate developer do?
A real estate developer obtains and develops land, turning it into a real estate asset. Part of their job is to conduct extensive research and analyses, coordinate with experts, gather and analyze data, negotiate with land sellers, and prepare properties for development. They also oversee construction operations from planning to execution, set budgets and guidelines, establish timelines and objectives, generate leads for potential clients, and maintain an active communication line with contractors for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Real estate developer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real real estate developer resumes:
- Manage segment's treasury function including equity forecasting and investment requests as well as lender relations in a difficult banking environment.
- Convert FTTH's accounting to QuickBooks
- Install windows, doors and put on metal roof.
- Remodel entire building, add bathroom, and double glaze windows for views of mountains.
- Assist in the preparation of GAAP, statutory, management, and other financial reporting on monthly and quarterly basis.
- Conduct semi-annual asset valuations and pro-forma analyses using ARGUS and self-developed models.
- Direct and coordinate the total company financial planning and budget management functions - including total oversight of the budget management program.
- Provide proposals to executive clients along with detail property ROI.
- Monitor market conditions and trends, and utilize appraisal formulas to minimize costs and maximize ROI.
- Negotiate acquisitions and sales of residential rehab projects utilizing MLS, foreclosure listings, and unconventional methods.
Real estate developer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Real Estate Developers are proficient in Financial Statements, Property Management, and Due Diligence. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Real Estate Developers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Financial Statements, 14%
Developed formats for all financial statements in Single Family Accounting including Cash Operating Statements and Development and Construction Budgets.
- Property Management, 10%
Sustained electronic property management and accounting systems ensuring all accounts were processed timely and in accordance with contracts terms.
- Due Diligence, 8%
Investigated and analyzed real estate sale, acquisition and development opportunities, including acquisition due diligence.
- General Contractors, 7%
Prepared all budgets; executed all contracts (architects, designers, general contractors, real estate brokers).
- Payroll, 4%
Converted new payroll software effectively allowing streamlining for growing company demands with no adverse impact.
- Real Estate Development, 4%
Conducted market studies and financial feasibility studies to analyze the potential success of proposed residential real estate developments.
Common skills that a real estate developer uses to do their job include "financial statements," "property management," and "due diligence." You can find details on the most important real estate developer responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a real estate developer to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "property, real estate, and community association managers must provide excellent support to keep existing clients and expand their business with new ones." Additionally, a real estate developer resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "act as liaison between customer and construction management and participate in punch list walk-through and follow-up. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform real estate developer duties is listening skills. Real estate developers responsibilities require that "property, real estate, and community association managers pay attention to residents and proprietors in order to understand and meet their needs." Real estate developers also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "communicated internal customers, landlords, owners, and government to clarify the risk basis and stakeholder requirements. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for real estate developers to perform their duties. For an example of how real estate developer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "property, real estate, and community association managers must understand contracts and must be able to clearly explain the materials and answer questions raised by residents, board members, or service providers." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a real estate developer: "reviewed rfq and rfp responses, writing, editing,visual communication, graphics and interactive media. ".
Interpersonal skills. real estate developer responsibilities often require "interpersonal skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "property, real estate, and community association managers interact with different types of people every day." This resume example shows what real estate developers do with interpersonal skills on a typical day: "required excellent interpersonal skills to act as a liaison between property management, leasing and accounting groups. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for real estate developer responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of real estate developers all the time, as "property, real estate, and community association managers must be able to plan, coordinate, and direct multiple contractors at the same time, often for multiple properties." An excerpt from a real real estate developer resume shows how this skill is central to what a real estate developer does: "communicated effectively and developed client relationships to exceed organizational goals. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on real estate developer job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in real estate developer duties, since "property, real estate, and community association managers must be able to mediate disputes or legal issues between different groups of people, such as residents and board members." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day real estate developer responsibilities: "created an import management company to service retailers and branded wholesalers with production solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most real estate developers are:
- Deloitte6 real estate developers jobs
- The Place Family Restaurant6 real estate developers jobs
- Ernst & Young4 real estate developers jobs
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Compare different real estate developers
Real estate developer vs. Leasing professional
A Leasing Professional is responsible for handling and coordinating with potential tenants for rental purposes. Leasing Professionals discuss the leasing terms and agreements with the clients, conduct property inspections, and identify possible repairs and renovations. They also evaluate the current market performance to negotiate pricing and payment procedures. A Leasing Professional must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in processing lease documents efficiently, responding to clients' inquiries and concerns, and adhering to state regulations and policies.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a real estate developer are more likely to require skills like "financial statements," "property management," "due diligence," and "general contractors." On the other hand, a job as a leasing professional requires skills like "customer service," "property tours," "lease renewals," and "work ethic." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Leasing professionals really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $35,035. Comparatively, real estate developers tend to make the most money in the media industry with an average salary of $111,442.leasing professionals tend to reach lower levels of education than real estate developers. In fact, leasing professionals are 10.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Real estate developer vs. Property management specialist
A property management specialist is responsible for managing the contracts and leasing opportunities for residential and commercial properties to potential tenants. Property management specialists evaluate the value of the properties according to market performance and determine the eligibility of tenant applicants in acquiring the property. They also inspect the condition of the property's overall facilities to identify possible repairs and renovations to ensure the safety and security of the tenants. A property management specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in processing documents and organizing billing reports.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real real estate developer resumes. While real estate developer responsibilities can utilize skills like "financial statements," "due diligence," "general contractors," and "payroll," property management specialists use skills like "customer service," "government property," "management system," and "real property."
Property management specialists earn a lower average salary than real estate developers. But property management specialists earn the highest pay in the insurance industry, with an average salary of $59,972. Additionally, real estate developers earn the highest salaries in the media with average pay of $111,442 annually.In general, property management specialists achieve lower levels of education than real estate developers. They're 6.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 3.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Real estate developer vs. Property management assistant
Property management assistants are professionals who are responsible for providing support functions to the management team that handles residential or commercial properties. These assistants are required to interview prospective residents while helping new residents with moving in while scheduling their service requests. They must prepare all the correspondence for property owners such as utility change-overs and lease contracts. Property management assistants must also collaborate with their property managers to ensure prudent rent collections from their tenants.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, real estate developers are more likely to have skills like "due diligence," "general contractors," "payroll," and "real estate development." But a property management assistant is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "vendor contracts," "rent payments," and "property inspections."
Property management assistants make a very good living in the media industry with an average annual salary of $38,568. On the other hand, real estate developers are paid the highest salary in the media industry, with average annual pay of $111,442.When it comes to education, property management assistants tend to earn lower degree levels compared to real estate developers. In fact, they're 8.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Real estate developer vs. Property administrator
A property administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties for real estate and property companies. Property administrators coordinate with prospective clients to inform them about the property and offers tours to give a better view of the location. They assist in preparing contracts, processing documents, administering payments, and resolving rent discrepancies. A property administrator also handles calls for regular maintenance of the property, ensuring the safety and security of the premises and negotiating maintenance services with contractors.
Types of real estate developer
Updated January 8, 2025
