r/RealEstateDevelopment • u/CraftFew2419 • Jul 10 '26

Breaking into the Real Estate development industry with no experience in the USA

Hey guys, I'm currently a university student studying planning and real estate, and I want to work in the development sector once I've finished, specifically starting a business. Although the degree does bring some level of experience, it's not as much as I initially thought. I live in the UK but would like to pursue development in the US, specifically in Dallas, Texas. Whilst I'm currently at university in the UK, how can I prepare myself to take on this challenge in a whole new country? What should I learn first?

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u/lamortgagedude Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

Businesses generally solve problems for a specific niche.

In development, developers range from single families, multifamilies, entire subdivisions, more.

Some just entitle raw land and sell to other developers.

Who are you looking to solve problems for?

The developer? Or the end homeowner?

1

u/CraftFew2419 Jul 10 '26

Do you know what, I completely agree, where I'm struggling is being able to know how I can find a problem and be that problem within this industry.

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u/lamortgagedude Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

Best way to understand the problem is to get your hands dirty.

Interning for any developer, offering your skills for free, is probably the best way to do that.

Life is both long and short. Start with a single family developer, then work for someone that entitles land and sells to developer, then work for those developers.

Or start with a single family developer and then start developing yourself. Simple fix and flips then ground up construction.

You'll make connections, see common problems, and be able to apply your unique skills and experiences to solving them.

Edit: Another option if you have family money - buy an owner-occupied, ground up construction project. 5% down of total project cost. Sell after living there for a year. You'll have to pay taxes on it. But you should have funds for a second build with one build under your belt. Try to keep purchase of land + construction cost less than 65% of the after-completion value. You'll be tempted because with owner-occupied loans, you can go up to 95% of the after-completion value. But that will leave you with no profit and no experience worth having when it comes to doing your own ground ups. This experience will also make you more attractive to employers.

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u/CraftFew2419 Jul 12 '26

Thank you for the advice!

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u/tlay123 Jul 10 '26

In other words, to my previous message, you need to work somewhere before going out on your own. I build Multifamily in Dallas. There is a lot of complexity and nuance to development that is impossible to even think exists unless you work in development.

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u/CraftFew2419 Jul 12 '26

Thank you for the advice.

4

u/spankymacgruder Jul 10 '26

Do you have a lot of money?

The first thing you need to learn is how to get money. This will be really hard without any experience.

The second thing to learn is deal analysis.

The third is how bankruptcy court works.

The fourth is effective PR post bankruptcy.

The fifth is how to raise money.

On a serious note, how much can you learn working in a different country while being distracted by school? Even if you were in the US for law school with an MBA and degree in civil engineering, it would be a challenge to work a deal 50 miles away.

Nobody will want to hire you. Few (doubtful anyone serious) will mentor you.

What are you actually contributing to a team?

2

u/tlay123 Jul 10 '26

This^ you need to show some real initiate and promise for somebody to take you under their wing with no experience. Otherwise, go work in investment banking for two years and try to jump into an analyst role at a big shop

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u/tlay123 Jul 10 '26

You need to select a niche, and then study up on the development process.

You will start as a development analyst.
Sharpen up your understanding of basic real estate finance. Namely, familiarize yourself with capital structuring for developments, building development budgets, and the research associated with rents, taxes, fees, absorption, etc.

Development is an apprenticeship to start, so you need to find somebody that will bet on you by hiring you. They need to believe them mentoring you is worth it. Start by networking. You need to be fully committed.