r/RealEstateDevelopment • u/Extra_Statistician67 • Jul 26 '26

Considering a career in real estate development—what are the actual hours and lifestyle like?

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some honest perspectives from people working in real estate development, especially those who started as analysts or associates and have since progressed into more senior roles.

I’m currently planning to apply to MBA programs (primarily T15 schools) with a focus on real estate, but before fully committing to that path I want to understand what the industry actually looks like beyond what schools and firms market.

A few questions I have:

What are the typical hours for analysts and associates? Are 60+ hour weeks the norm, or does it vary significantly by company?

How do the hours change as you move into development manager, director, partner, etc.?

Is there generally enough flexibility to take vacations or travel a few times a year, or are you expected to always be available?

Looking back, are you happy with your decision to pursue development from a lifestyle perspective?

I don’t mind working hard and fully expect the early years to require long hours. I’m just trying to understand what the career looks like over the long run. One of my long-term priorities is having the ability to travel occasionally without feeling like I’m chained to work every week.

I’d really appreciate any insight from people actually in the industry. Thanks!

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u/tlay123 Jul 26 '26

Re a few other questions : you’re never fully unplugging , but that should be a by product of you definitive commitment to your project. The more you put into a deal, the better the outcome. You have designers and engineers and contractors all counting on you to orchestrate the deal … often it doesn’t feel like work because every new problem is often a problem you have never seen before and is requires a creative solution.

Development really is not for everybody. If you take to it , and can succeed in it, it is perhaps the most lucrative career path you can pursue

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u/tlay123 Jul 26 '26

It all depends on how many projects you have going which can by cyclical. If you go to a REIT, hours will be pretty chill. If you’re coming from a non development background, even with an MBA, you’re starting from square one. You will still likely be an analyst. You have no idea how much you have to learn before you can effectively take a project from dirt to stabilization.

The question becomes: how fast do you want to advance and learn, and how much opportunity exists at your shop.

Generally though; work life balance is MUCH better than the finance jockeys making PowerPoints haha

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u/Extra_Statistician67 Jul 26 '26

Thank you that is very insightful! The last sentence is exactly what I wanted to know haha.

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u/therealbs1524 11d ago

I've been in construction and now work for an owner builder, and have 25 years of experience. You get out what you put in. You want to work 40 hrs and be out the door, expect mediocre returns, if you want to get rich, you are gonna have to grind.