CICommercial Real Estate Investor
CI
Career

Commercial Real Estate Investor

By the numbers
Typical pay
$102,740 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+5.7% by 2034
People in this job
362K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:30
Market pulse

Scan overnight listings, rate moves, and local vacancy reports for signals.

08:15
Deal screening

Run quick NOI and cap-rate math on three new leads — two get cut immediately.

09:30
Deep underwriting

Build a full pro forma on a promising industrial property; stress-test the rent assumptions.

11:30
Broker & lender calls

Push a broker on price, then negotiate loan terms with a private lender.

13:15
Site walkthrough

Tour a strip-mall in person — roof damage and a dark anchor unit change the math.

15:00
Portfolio review

Check rent rolls, flag one late-paying tenant, and approve an HVAC repair quote.

16:30
Investor update

Send quarterly returns summary; field a question about whether to sell or hold.

17:30
Exit decision

Weigh selling a stabilized asset now versus riding a tightening market another year.

Things you do
  • Hunt for undervalued properties before they hit the open market.
  • Run the numbers to decide if a deal is worth pursuing.
  • Negotiate purchase prices, loan terms, and lease agreements with tough counterparts.
  • Walk properties in person to spot problems no spreadsheet can catch.
  • Raise money from investors and structure who owns what percentage.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this deal actually a good investment, or am I just excited about it?
  • Should I sell this property now, or hold and wait for a better market?
  • Is this tenant's financial trouble a short-term blip, or a real risk to my cash flow?
  • Do I take on debt to scale faster, or stay conservative and protect what I have?
  • Is this market cooling off, or is now actually the right time to buy?
Education Pathways · how you get there
75 in 100 went the college route · 25 in 100 found another way in Less than 5 years, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
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