Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts: Top 5 Ranked 

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Looking for the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts? You came to the right place. We are going to go through the top 5 ranked by annual salary average. The real estate investment space offers a lifetime career path, and many of them are highly lucrative. 

We all know society will continue to build new homes, office space, shopping malls, infrastructure, and leisure centers to mention a few of the categories. Real estate investment trusts are not only involved in new developments, but they also manage existing properties. 

So, we can be assured of their ability to withstand tough times while flourishing during the good. Real estate investment trusts are also very attractive vehicles for investors as they offer shareholder tax advantages when compared to typical corporations.

Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts

Real Estate Development Director – Average Salary $250,295

This position requires you to perform all the necessary tasks to implement the fund’s portfolio strategy. Including identifying new locations, selecting construction partnerships, and overseeing all aspects of the development and administration of assets.

Duties may include:

• Negotiating terms and economic conditions of each location including new sites, extensions, reductions, and renewals.
• Oversee lease issues, Tennant permanency, and resolve issues with company attorneys.
• Satisfy fund capacity by identifying the business needs.
• Acquisition and development of land and support associated rights as needed.
• Manage the work-in-progress schedule to ensure the timely execution of transactions and value enhancements.

According to Glassdoor, a real estate development director makes $250 thousand per year on average. Of which the average base salary of $134 thousand and an average yearly bonus of $115 thousand. 

The salary range is wide for this role, the lower range is between $151 thousand and $191 thousand, while the upper range is between $335 thousand and $429 thousand.

Real Estate Developer – $132,634

A property developer is responsible for visualizing, organizing, and executing private and commercial property projects. These include renovation as well as construction. They are responsible for obtaining licenses and planning permissions. As well as building and leasing with the goal of generating profits.

Duties may include:

• Negotiating and obtaining all planning regulatory permissions.
• Staying on top of all regulatory changes.
• Assisting in attracting financing when needed.
• Ensuring health and security requirements are met.
• Responding to RFPs (requests for proposals) as and when necessary.
• Interacting with contractors, realtors, engineers, municipal officials, zoning inspectors, lawyers, and architects.
• Overseeing the project – construction or redevelopment, to make sure standards and delivery dates are met. 

The total pay average for a real estate developer is $132 thousand per year, according to Glassdoor. The total is made up of an average fixed salary of $81 thousand and an annual bonus of $51 thousand. 

For this position, the lower compensation range is between $77 thousand and $99 thousand. While the upper range is between $182 thousand and $239 thousand.

Real Estate Attorney – $128,239

A real estate attorney is a lawyer that takes care of all legal aspects of transactions and projects within a real estate investment trust. Attorneys may be involved in disputes with tenants, retail or commercial. 

They may also take care of issues with zoning, development projects, and construction. At times their tasks may be simple such as preparing legal documents. While on other occasions they can be complex as in a property dispute in court. 

Duties may include:

• Draft and create legal documents such as mortgages, titling documents, eviction notices, lease contracts, and purchase agreements amongst others.
• Represent the trust in legal disputes which can include enforcing the legal terms of a contract. Solving title problems or resolving land disputes.
• Clarify technical or vague terms.
• Review all sales transactions and perform due diligence on all documents. 
• Undertake necessary litigation, draft legal pleas, bargain with the opposing counsel, or work out settlement procedures.
• Handle foreclosure proceedings.

The average total salary for a real estate attorney according to Glassdoor is $128 thousand per year. The average fixed salary is $114 thousand with an average annual bonus of $14 thousand. 

The lower salary range is between $78 thousand and $98 thousand, while the higher range is between $168 thousand and $213 thousand.

Real Estate Construction Superintendent – $107,000

Construction superintendents are responsible for coordinating all construction activities. Which includes overseeing the construction according to the blueprints and schedule. They also interact with subcontractors, provide on-site direction, and secure working conditions.

They are at the helm of the construction project when it comes to being hands-on. So, they must be capable of leading a full team and coordinating all aspects to ensure the team has all the resources as and when needed.

Duties may include:

• Management of a team of workers, resource allocation, work schedules, and project progress.
• Estimate costs for labor, supplies, materials, and other construction or redevelopment costs.
• Coordinate with other project management, clients, and construction management to estimate a budget and timeline.
• Manage the delivery of equipment and materials with suppliers and vendors.
• Hire subcontractors as needed and assign work schedules accordingly.
• Report to management as needed with the project site’s daily operations log.
• Evaluate changes in the project needed to maintain the construction or redevelopment deadline.
• Implement cost-effective and efficient management techniques. 

A real estate construction superintendent makes on average $107 thousand per year, according to Glassdoor. For this position, the average salary is $84 thousand, and the average yearly bonus is $23 thousand. 

The lower salary range is between $70 thousand and $86 thousand, while the higher range is between $137 thousand and $170 thousand.

Real Estate Investment Analyst – $101,312 

A real estate investment analyst’s main role is to identify new investment opportunities for the trust. These may be raw land for new construction and development, or they may be existing real estate with the potential for enhanced returns after redevelopment.

They must look at various factors when analyzing assets such as current market conditions, the economic trend, and the local intrinsic factors related to the real estate being examined. They also have the task of analyzing the current performance of the assets already held in the portfolio.

Duties may include:

• Analyzing data to evaluate real estate trends across the sectors where the trust invests such as residential homes, commercial properties, or infrastructure to name a few. 
• Forecast economic trends to determine the impact on real estate such as occupancy rate and rental prices.
• Analyzing potential investments and their financial viability.
• Evaluating assets already held in the portfolio to assess their profitability and determine if they are meeting the trust’s goals.
• Communicating with management to provide timely reports and analysis or answer queries.
• Review market conditions and suggest strategies to improve returns and minimize losses.

According to Glassdoor, a real estate investment analyst makes an average of $101 thousand per year. The base salary is an average of $66 thousand and the bonus is an average of $35 thousand per year. 

The lower salary range is between $59 thousand and $76 thousand, while the higher range is between $137 thousand and $178 thousand.

Wrapping Up

While you work your way to the top in one of the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts, think of your future. We should all be aware of how we invest our hard-earned cash. Especially with an eye to retirement, no matter how far away it may seem.  

To get the most out of your retirement savings you might want to invest through a self-directed IRA. These accounts allow you to hold alternative investments in a tax-enhanced environment. You can read our reviews on the top IRA companies here.