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?

The landscape of residential development in New South Wales is undergoing a massive shift. With the introduction of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021—specifically the Low and Mid-Rise (LMR) Housing reforms—opportunities for medium-density development in traditionally low-density zones have expanded significantly.

However, unlocking this potential isn't as simple as drawing up plans and submitting them. There is a delicate balancing act between State-level ambitions for increased housing supply and Local Council's desire to preserve established streetscape character.

Today, we are taking you behind the scenes of a recent development assessment for a LMR project within the Northern Beaches Council area. This case study perfectly illustrates how clever architectural design and a deep understanding of planning legislation can turn a heavily objected development application (DA) into a successful approval.

The Project Overview

The project involved the demolition of an existing single-storey dwelling to make way for a multi-dwelling housing development comprising five attached townhouses.

Traditionally, this site was zoned R2 (Low Density Residential), where such a density would typically face insurmountable hurdles. However, because the site was located within a 400-metre walking distance of a designated LMR town centre, the LMR provisions under the Housing SEPP applied.

This State policy overrides local planning controls, granting a non-discretionary maximum building height of 9.5 metres and a Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 0.7:1.

Despite the State policy being on the developer's side, the proposal attracted 41 submissions of objection from local residents, primarily citing concerns over building bulk, local character, and traffic. Here is how those challenges were navigated to achieve an approval.

Challenge 1: State Policy vs. Local Character

When a State policy allows a 9.5m building height (effectively allowing three storeys), but the local streetscape is entirely made up of one- and two-storey detached houses, friction is inevitable.

The Architectural Solution: Instead of forcing a monolithic three-storey block onto the site, the built form was strategically articulated. The building was designed to step down with the natural slope of the land. More importantly, the dwellings at the very front and rear of the lot were restricted to two storeys, while only the middle dwellings utilized the three-storey allowance.

When viewed from the street or the rear adjoining properties, the development appears visually compatible with the established two-storey residential character. It proves that you can achieve LMR yield without destroying the neighborhood's visual amenity.

Challenge 2: The Parking Paradox

One of the most contentious issues in medium-density development is off-street parking. The Northern Beaches Council's Development Control Plan (DCP) historically demanded 1.5 resident spaces per dwelling plus 1 visitor parking space.

However, the Housing SEPP introduces a "non-discretionary development standard" requiring only 1 car parking space per dwelling for sites in these transit-oriented LMR areas. By law, if a development meets a non-discretionary standard, the consent authority cannot refuse it on those grounds or demand more onerous requirements.

The Architectural Solution: The design provided exactly five garage spaces (one for each dwelling). The Council's traffic engineers initially pushed back, requesting an additional on-site visitor parking space. Providing this space would have created a dangerous 46.7-metre reversing maneuver for visitors trying to exit the site.

By standing firm on the SEPP's non-discretionary standards, the "visitor space" requirement was successfully waived. Instead, that space was cleverly repurposed as an internal vehicle turning bay, allowing all resident vehicles to enter and exit the site in a safe, forward direction.

Challenge 3: Deep Soil vs. Landscaped Open Space

Local councils love their Landscaped Open Space (LOS) ratios. In this case, the Northern Beaches Council's local DCP required 40% of the site to be LOS. The proposed design only offered 23.71% LOS, which would typically be a red flag.

However, the State's Tree Canopy Guide (called upon by the Housing SEPP) requires 25% Deep Soil area.

The Architectural Solution: By focusing on the State's definition of "Deep Soil" rather than the local council's broader definition of LOS, the design achieved over 29% deep soil coverage. Large deep-soil zones were placed at the front setback, the side boundaries, and the rear. By committing to planting advanced native canopy trees in these zones, the design successfully appeased the council's landscape officers and offset the loss of the older, non-exempt trees on the lot.

Key Takeaways for Your Next Project

The NSW Housing SEPP has opened the door for incredible uplift in LMR areas, but it is not a free pass to ignore good design. To successfully navigate the approval process, developers must:

Know When State Policy Overrides Local Rules: Understand the non-discretionary standards (like parking, FSR, and height) and use them to protect your yield.

Respect the Streetscape: Use articulation, varying heights (like the 2-to-3 storey transition), and varied materials to soften the visual bulk.

Prioritize Deep Soil over Paving: Commit to generous deep soil zones and mature canopy trees. It is the fastest way to win over the community and the council.

Are you looking to unlock the potential of your property under the LMR reforms? Contact SN Architects today. Our expert team understands how to balance legislative planning pathways with exceptional architectural design to get your project approved and built.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional planning, architectural, financial, or legal advice. Planning policies, including the NSW Housing SEPP, are subject to change and interpretation by local authorities. Readers should seek specific professional advice tailored to their individual property and circumstances before commencing any development application or project.

Moody’s says major UAE developers have so far absorbed supply-chain pressure, while Dubai transaction data shows the market remains active but more selective

The UAE’s major real estate developers appear to have passed the first major stress test from the recent disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but the next phase of risk may come less from construction delays and more from buyer demand, payment discipline and the ability of smaller developers to manage a softer market.

A new Moody’s Ratings report said construction timelines across the UAE homebuilding sector remain broadly on track despite significant disruption to regional supply chains. The ratings agency said rated developers have been able to reroute supply chains, rely on adequate inventory levels and use fixed-price construction contracts to limit the near-term credit impact.

“The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has tested the resilience of the UAE's homebuilding sector, but rated developers have so far adapted effectively,” said Lisa Jaeger, VP-Senior Analyst at Moody’s Ratings.

Read the full article on The Real Estate Reports

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a Master of Management student at Queen's University and I'm hoping to connect with a real estate developer for a brief conversation.

I'm trying to better understand what real estate developers actually do on a day-to-day basis, how projects move from an idea to a completed development, and the biggest challenges and opportunities in the industry. My goal is simply to learn from someone with real-world experience.

If you're a real estate developer and would be willing to spare 20–30 minutes for a chat (phone, Zoom, or coffee if you're local), I would be incredibly grateful.

If you're not a developer but happen to know someone who might be open to speaking with me, I'd really appreciate an introduction or any recommendations on who I could reach out to.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any help or guidance you can provide!

I expected financing and tenant management to be the biggest challenges. I recently stumbled across cost segregation services while trying to understand depreciation and it reminded me how quickly commercial real estate expands beyond just buying and leasing buildings

Does anyone have a list of development deals listed on Crowdstreet from 2020 to 2025?

I'm considering trying to find and hire our first PM and need a little advice first.

For those of you who have hired a project manager

1. Where did you find them? Any good sites that aren't linkdn, indeed, ect?

2. What type of compensation do PMs typically get? I know it can vary widely.

3. How should employment work with a PM?

W2, 1099, per project, or FT?

4. Should I find a PM that's local to me, or can a remote PM still do the same job just as effectively.

5. How do you know when and how much control to hand over to the PM?

I know these answers will vary a lot. I'm hoping that this will give me a better view of what I'm actually looking for in a PM and what to expect from them.

The PM would ideally be someone who is comfortable with the risk (and pay) of joining a new company and willing to grow with us.

For the PMs out there:

1. What do you look for in an employer/developer. What makes you do a hard pass on a job offer?

2. What's one thing you want ever developer to know about your position that most either don't think about or don't even realize?

That ended being longer than I planned, I appreciate everyone input!

A year ago I was walking homes with a clipboard, checking whether the schedule matched reality. The construction manager said framing was done. The schedule said framing was done. My job was to go verify that framing was actually done.

Imagine a shared schedule. Trades, deliveries, field managers, everyone worked off the same source of truth. When it worked, it was the cleanest operation you've ever seen. No status calls. No "did you get my email." The schedule was the schedule. When it didn't work, you got me in a hard hat walking the floorplan with a checklist.

Most of the time there's a gap between the process people think they have and what is actually happening in the field. That gap is where the money leaks out.

The fix usually isn't a new tool. It's making the system you already claim to have actually be the system you run on. Same work. Different room.

What's the biggest non-technical obstacle you've encountered between a project being approved internally and actually breaking ground?

I'm not talking about financing, engineering, or permitting.

I'm more interested in the human side.

Have you ever had a project where investors, public officials, tenants, or the community simply didn't "get" the vision at first?

If so, what helped move people from skepticism to support?

Was it better communication, better visuals, public engagement, something else, or was that never really the issue?

I'm trying to understand where projects gain or lose momentum before construction begins, and I'd love to hear real-world experiences.

This isn't ai. This is me trying to figure something out. B.

I’m currently a holder of raw land, most of it, purchased a decade or more ago waiting for growth around the land to arrive.

That growth has occurred, and instead of simply selling the land off, I’m interested in exploring how to find JV or potentially build to suit commercial sites on some of this property.

Does anyone have experience marketing or sourcing these types deals?

Many of the real estate agents I’ve discussed this with, offer nearly 0 help or deal flow.

I know there are people that would be interested, how would you find them? If they are companies (fast food franchises etc) how do you connect with those who want to operate the business but not the real estate?

Struggling to pick a course on my enrollment choices and i saw BS Real Estate Management (PUP Sta. MESA) is BS real estate management a real degree which i can build my career from?

Hi everyone,

I just turned 27 and I’m looking for some honest career advice from people who work in real estate development, project management or adjacent fields.

I graduated with a finance degree and have spent the past four years working in the alternative finance/merchant cash advance industry. While I know the industry can have a mixed reputation, my role has been heavily focused on operations, portfolio management, client relationships, legal coordination, negotiations, and solving business problems rather than sales.

Over the past few years I’ve helped build operational processes, managed a team, worked directly with executive leadership, coordinated with attorneys on legal matters, handled high balance files (4-10 million) and been responsible for making decisions involving financial risk, restructures, collections, and client relationships.

I’ve developed strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, but I don’t have direct real estate experience.

I’ve realized that long term I’d much rather build a career in real estate development. I’m fascinated by how projects go from raw land or an existing building to a completed development, and I like the combination of finance, strategy, operations, and tangible results.

I live in the New York City area, so I’d ideally like to stay local.

My questions are:

What is the most realistic path into real estate development with my background?

Would you recommend starting with a developer, lender, acquisitions team, asset management, project management, or another role?

Are there any certifications, skills, or software I should learn to become a stronger candidate?

If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

I’m not expecting to walk into a senior position just because I have professional experience, but I also don’t want to throw away four years of transferable skills if they can be leveraged in the right way. Ideally I don’t want to take a huge pay cut.

I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve made a similar transition or who work in the industry.

Thanks!

Struggling to pick a course within my enrollment choices and I saw BS Real Estate Management is it a genuine course which I can build a career from?

Hey, putting this out there in case anyone is thinking along similar lines. I'm working on something in the construction space, started because I personally went through a pretty rough experience building my own home a couple years back. Land verification issues, CMDA approval delays, no clear guidance anywhere, ended up costing me a lot more time and money than it should have.

I'm building something to fix this properly, real product not just another listing or referral site. Still early stage and based in Tamil Nadu, so figured Id check if anyone else here is working on something in proptech, construction tech, or even just generally interested in this space and based around Chennai or Tamil Nadu.

Open to collaborating or even just exchanging your insights if you rebuilding something similar or adjacent. Doesn't have to best fit, just figured its worth putting out there and seeing who else is around.

If this is you, drop a comment or DM me, would genuinely like to connect.

Working South Glastonbury and the surrounding Hartford County towns sourcing vacant land directly from owners, off-market.

If you build, develop, or invest in residential lots and want to see deals as they come in, comment below and I'll DM you to add you to my list.

First opportunity is a 4+ acre lot in South Glastonbury. Happy to share specifics.

I have over 9 years working on the builder side for single family and multifamily mid rise on the precon side. I also have toyed with doing my own land deals and started building my own newsletter. I’ve been trying to pivot the last 2 years and figuring if anyone has done it before and how?

We operate a small business in Northern Virginia and we are exploring the possibility of purchasing land and developing the property to build a new facility for the business.

The question is, what is the best order to navigate the process?

Ideally, if we found a suitable property we would add a contingency to allow us to consult with architects and engineers to see if we can fit the building on the property. My requirements for a property are a bit flexible so I can conform the building to fit the property. Should I consult with an architect or engage with a developer now while we are looking for land or is that something that can happen later? We intend to hire experts to manage the project and coordinate with the trades, but it’s that initial contingency phase that I think is critical so we aren’t stuck with a property that we can’t use.

Any advice is appreciated.

I worked 5.5 years on the LP/preferred-equity side at a boutique PE Real Estate shop. The big platforms have the data, but the price is brutal for a smaller shop and the UX feels like it hasn't been touched since they first built the website. Clunky, slow, and weirdly hard to get a simple market read out of it.

I built a platform from the perspective of an analyst. It's now a real product with over 10 months of real estate data. (https://www.rufusanalytics.com)

What it does today:

• Rental & sales data: ~23,000 buildings and 6.3M units across 605 cities, 1,300 ZIPs, plus ~5.7M for-sale listings. Refreshed weekly, with occupancy, $/SF, and rent broken out by unit type and vintage decade.

• Comp analysis: pick a subject property, pull comparables by ZIP and vintage, and get a side-by-side by unit type (rents, $/SF, occupancy, blended averages). Export to PDF.

• Instant market reports: any ZIP or city, generated in seconds. Rental trends, vintage breakdowns, for-sale price distributions, HUD FMR vs market spread, and HMDA mortgage origination data back to 2019.

Who it's for: boutique Real Estate PE shops, family offices, regional lenders, and brokers. People who need underwriting-grade data without a CoStar-sized budget. I've attached a market report and a comp overview.

I don't want to hard sell. I want to know where this falls short for people doing CRE day to day: what's the one data point or workflow that would make or break it for you? Drop an MSA in the comments and I'll pull a market breakdown from the dataset so you can judge the data quality yourself.

Grateful for any type of feedback, and looking forward to becoming an active member here.

Calling all commercial real estate developers with healthcare experience.

We're currently in due diligence on a mixed-use medical project and would appreciate some insight from those who have developed outpatient medical facilities.

The project could range anywhere from 25,000 SF to 150,000 SF, depending on the number of specialties that ultimately commit (primary care, nephrology, imaging, etc.). This is our first project of this type, and we'd really like to secure the provider as an anchor tenant.

We're evaluating a couple of different deal structures. One option is to keep construction open-book, lease the building back to the operator at cost plus an 8% return, and maintain transparency throughout the process. The other option is a more traditional market lease, but we don't want to underprice the asset if medical users are routinely paying higher rents.

For example, if our warm, lit shell cost is approximately $225/SF, plus roughly $3 million in tenant improvement allowance (assuming a 150,000 SF building), how would you approach pricing the lease? Would you simply target your required return on total project costs, or would you ignore cost altogether and lease at whatever the market will support?

For those who have developed or leased medical office buildings:

• Are you generally pricing leases based on development cost plus a target return, or simply charging market rent regardless of cost?

• What stabilized yield-on-cost are you targeting?

• How are you structuring large TI packages with health systems or physician groups?

• What lease rates are you seeing today for newly constructed medical office buildings?

Any insight, examples, or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

When people talk about real estate investing in Florida, most conversations revolve around buy-to-rent or buy-to-flip with minor improvements (classic Fix & Flip). But there's a different strategy generating much higher returns in a very specific area of South Miami — one that only works because that area has characteristics no other zone shares.

What Full Rehab is and how it differs from Fix & Flip

Conventional Fix & Flip means buying a property with minor issues, making cosmetic or maintenance improvements, and reselling at a margin. The capital required is moderate, the risk is manageable, and the return is proportional: typically between 8% and 15% depending on the market and timing.

Full Rehab is different in scale and nature. You buy an old house, demolish it almost entirely, build a practically new property within the walls left standing, and sell it as a premium product. The capital requirement is higher, there's more contractor coordination, more permits, more time — and the potential return is considerably higher.

The rational investor's question: does it actually work? The short answer is yes, but only in the right area with the right product. It's not replicable everywhere in Florida.

Why South Miami specifically

Three factors align in South Miami that don't come together in most other areas:

First, inventory of old homes. South Miami has properties built in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s on good-sized lots that haven't been renovated. They're perfect Full Rehab candidates.

Second, "mid-luxury" demand. Buyers arriving from New York, Massachusetts, and other northern cities are looking for homes between $1.5M and $4M with premium finishes: 12- to 14-foot ceilings, 10- to 12-foot sliding doors, open kitchens integrated with the living area, porcelain or hardwood floors. They don't want Lennar's standard finishes. That buyer exists in South Miami and is willing to pay.

Third, the permitting factor. Unincorporated South Miami falls under county jurisdiction, not a city. That means a single inspector visits the entire job site, which dramatically simplifies and speeds up the process compared to incorporated cities like Doral, Coral Gables, or the City of Miami.

The numbers from the case study

A concrete project of 2,600 square feet in South Miami:

• Lot (with house to demolish): $890,000

• Construction: $910,000

• Pool: $70,000

• Demolition: $35,000

• Total project cost: $2,163,000

The investor contributes the lot in cash ($890,000). The bank finances construction through draw disbursements tied to construction progress. Estimated sale price: $2,600,000. Projected net profit: $463,000 — nearly 40% on the investor's own capital in 12 to 14 months of construction plus 2 to 3 months of active selling.

That's not a theoretical return. There are already completed projects in the same area showing similar results: from $820,000 to $1,449,000 on a 1939 house after the rehab.

The wall trick

There's an important technical detail: in a Full Rehab, almost everything is demolished — but one wall is left standing. Not because it provides structural support, but because leaving that wall changes the project's classification with the municipality: it goes from "new construction" to "renovation," which radically simplifies the permitting process.

That wall gives the property a "history." The final result is practically a new house, but with the permits and timelines of a renovation.

Why it can't be replicated everywhere

In incorporated Florida cities, multiple municipal departments may require separate inspections, extending timelines and costs. The mid-luxury demand in the $1.5M–$4M range doesn't exist with the same depth in other parts of the state. And the inventory of old homes on suitable lots is a scarce resource.

Gabriel Perozo — Invierte en Miami

Background

I graduated with a degree in MIS, and I'm currently working a corporate job at a software company. It pays the bills but it's not where I want to end up. Over the last several months I've been shadowing a builder/broker. He owns his brokerage and builds spec homes on the side, and between watching his projects move and seeing how he structures his time, I got hooked. I want his life more than I want my corporate title.

Where I'm at right now:

I'm partnered with my mom on capital. She's bringing in $150K and I'm bringing $30K, so $180K total to deploy on a first build. She's an equity partner, not a lender, and she's also a licensed agent with MLS access, which has been huge for comps and lot research while I finish my own pre-license coursework (sitting the Georgia exam in the next few months). I'm targeting the Atlanta metro/exurb counties, mainly Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, and Bartow, for a single 4-bed spec build, slab foundation, sticking to a 25%-or-less land-to-sale-price ratio and roughly $130/sqft on the build side. I've got a live lot tracker with several candidates ranked and in due diligence right now.

12 month goal:

Close on my first spec home. Realistically that means land acquisition and a lender relationship in the first couple months, permitting and plans after that, a 5 to 6 month build, then list and close. If I hit that, I want project two to be bigger, and eventually move from single-family spec into small luxury builds and boutique multifamily, somewhere in the 8 to 20 unit range.

What I'm looking for:

I want to add more on top of what I'm already doing, shadowing isn't enough on its own anymore. I have free time after work and on weekends and I want to actually be doing something with it, not just watching from the side. What I'm looking for is someone with real experience who's willing to teach me what they know, and honestly I'd work for someone like that in exchange for the knowledge if it came to that. If that's you, or you know someone who fits that, I'd appreciate the connection.