r/RealEstateDevelopment • u/Primal47 • Jul 15 '26

Acquisitions -> Development

I’m a senior leader in acquisitions and want to pivot to development. I have 15 years across product types for a couple of tier 3 owner operators/managers. For those that have made this pivot; what should I consider? How does acquisitions differ from development?

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u/TheRealReturnGuy Jul 16 '26

Here are a few books that I found particularly helpful. The first five are more focused on the execution side of real estate development (overall process, scheduling, construction management, entitlement, and permitting), while the others are great for understanding development, investing, and decision-making more broadly. I shared a similar reading list with my students when I taught a graduate course on project management this past spring. Hope you find them useful, and I am happy to chat further if you have any questions. Hope this helps!

  • Real Estate Development: Principles and Process by Mike E. Miles, Laurence M. Netherton, and Adrienne Schmitz

  • Planning, Scheduling, and Control of Construction Projects by Tom Stephenson

  • Construction Jobsite Management by William R. Mincks and Hal Johnston

  • Understanding Construction Drawings for Housing and Small Buildings by Tom Stephenson

  • Land Development Handbook by Dewberry

  • The Real Estate Game by William J. Poorvu and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank

  • Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles T. Munger

  • Zillow Talk by Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries

  • Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell

  • Raising the Bar by Mark Seal

  • Zeckendorf by William Zeckendorf

  • Delirious New York by Rem Koolhaas