Introduction:  A REIT is a property investment firm that in the UK is listed on a stock exchange. It provides opportunities to invest indirectly in the real estate sector, profit from its property portfolios, and give returns to investors/shareholders. REITs were introduced in 2007, and the investments are exempt from corporation tax on profits generated through rental income and the income from the sale of rental properties.

Like any firm, a REIT has different job functions, from back-office and operations to in-the-trenches, customer-facing roles. Here we provide information about the best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts.

What Is A REIT?

Pooling your financial resources with other investors to invest in large scale commercial real estate assets can reap financial rewards. Such options are provided by a Real Estate Investment Trust or REIT, which allows owning real estate indirectly without buying the physical property. 

Most investors who want to get options in large scale property investments, especially the commercial types, find it beyond their means. So investing through REITs in such assets can provide a great way to boost your earnings. 

In simple terms, real estate investment trust (REIT) are organisations that invest money in projects in real estate. The fund is mainly handled by stockholders or the company that owns the project. People can invest in REITs in different sectors (residential/commercial) and get tax exemptions on their investments. 

However, those interested in  Real Estate Investment Trust seeking a career in the field need to know about the sector's scope and future growth prospects.

7 Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts with Good Salary

There are seven primary jobs in the sector:

1. Development- 

The development team is responsible for building new projects. They need to fund projects and work with contractors and subcontractors to manage the design and construction. Depending on the REIT, one can work as a vice president of construction at a REIT where the main function is construction and planning. 

Also, if you choose the development projects, you can work with construction engineers and designers or work straight on the project site from the very beginning.

Most REITs appoint employees who are already aware of their responsibilities as a part of the development team, or they can join as a finance manager and manage budgets or funding of projects. So if you already have work experience or a college degree in finance, you can search for a job in the sector.

2. Broker: 

You can also work as a property negotiator. However, one must keep in mind that the jobs of an agent and a broker are entirely different. Brokers are professionals who have a license, and they have attended workshops and classes and have appeared in the qualifying tests. Their knowledge and certificates allow them to work independently or with other agents. 

3. Analytics- 

Many people are not aware of the job profile of a REIT analyst, which is undoubtedly one of the best-paying jobs. Moreover, the REIT sector requires a minimal level of education and great communication skills. 

Also, if you plan to apply for the job of a professional analyst in REITs, you must have some basic knowledge of finance and ownership modelling and the IT sector. 

4. Acquisition: 

People searching for good jobs in the REIT investing sector must seek various certain alternatives. For example, to work in acquisition, you need to search for properties across regions and have adequate knowledge of the demands for certain properties in those real estate markets. 

5. Management of Property: 

Property managers oversee individual operations from leasing to maintenance. They get things done, and they need to be jacks of all trades. Therefore, no standard educational qualification is required to become a property manager. However, the worker will be more connected to the management of the REIT. 

Most supervisors hire skilled employees who can manage the sale and purchase of properties and take care of rent and maintenance.

Some of the best salary jobs available in REITs can be in this sector. However, management of the property is probably the best choice for those without any fancy degrees.

6. Relations Consultant- 

The investor relations team manages all the communication with REIT investors and shareholders. In addition, the relations consultant need to organise the annual meetings and represent the reports and the proxy statement according to the government regulations. Such roles require an undergraduate degree with a background in accounting or finance.

7. Management of Assets: 

The asset management team handles the operations and financial performance of the portfolio of assets within the REIT. Generally, a vice president or senior executive in the asset management team oversees asset managers, and the managers are individually allocated a handful of assets to manage. 

In addition, they have a joint function where they need to perform accounting, acquisitions, development, and corporate finance to achieve results as per REIT regulations.

Such a role requires considerable skills. In general, people working in the management team have to look after the overall performance of all related operations. The role specifically needs special skills and a college degree. You may have to work as a junior or assistant where you start working in acquisitions or analytics, and then gradually; you get promoted to senior management positions.

What Do You Mean Real Estate Investment Trust?

REITs perform several activities for real estate investors, like managing and funding projects. The investment trust or company determines whether to buy land or not for a project, manage matters related to real estate project funding and handle the legal aspects of a plan. In addition, they need to handle the impact of real estate movements in global markets. 

REITs invest in stocks and mutual funds, which gives huge returns when the market gains. They invest in real estate, lands, buildings, industries, storage, warehouses, hospitals/healthcare, shops, offices, hotels, etc.

Benefits of REIT 

One can invest in REITs or work in the sector as there are many advantages of starting a career in the field. Some benefits are given below- 

Consistency-

REITs are easily traded online or by telephone on the London Stock exchange. Investors benefit and gain money by investing in real estate and the stock market. So when the market is up, investors achieve more. The earnings are supported by consistent cash flows through rental property. In addition, it provides a tax-efficient form of property investment as it is currently exempt from UK corporation tax.

Investors earn a stable and secure revenue by opting for real estate investments via REITs.

Multiformity-

REIT investing options are not limited to a few sectors. Instead, it provides diversification where you can seek opportunities in different sectors across global economies. In addition, access to high-value asset categories like shopping centres, office space and retail parks are available to investors.

Clarity-

The investments through REITs are considered transparent, secure and reliable. It offers reduced financial barriers to entry; they provide access to property investment vehicles for minimal entry outlay, with opportunities for growth, income and diversification.

Striking Predisposing Factors-

Although many organisations are not that flexible with their investors, REITs stands to offer risk coverage. Also, there is reduced day-to-day liability for the property held in a Real Estate Investment Trust on the part of the investor.

5 Different Types of REITs

1. Equitability REITs-

An equity REIT owns physical properties as its primary business. It will be a full-stack owner-operator where they do the property management themselves, or they will hire a third party to manage the assets, or it can be a hybrid of the two. This type of REIT mostly makes investments in the office sector, shops, markets, apartments, large-scale hotels and resorts. 

After approving the plan, REITs are responsible for managing, establishing, and selling the properties. Later, it gives dividends to the investors as a percentage of profits. 

2. Debt REITs-

In this type of REIT, the organisation gives money to the buyers who wish to buy assets in the real estate sector. It is like a debt given to the buyer, and in return, buyers have to provide their loan interest amount to the REITs, and the source of income is the monthly interest amount of the loan. 

A mortgage REIT deals in mortgage-related assets, not in physical buildings. It is a finance-type instead of a traditional hands-on real estate position. One can suffer unexpected losses in debt REITs if some buyers delay repayments.

3. Merchandise REITs-

It invests in retail shops and markets such as departmental stores, shopping malls, supermarkets, etc. But REITs will not be the producers or the architects of these markets; they only collect rents or gain commissions through the sale of properties. 

4. Domestic REITs-

One of the REIT good career opportunities is in domestic REITs, where amateur individuals can start working, and they have to maintain household to large-scale societies and apartments. 

5. Medical REITs-

One can work in healthcare or multi-speciality clinics or a real estate company in the medical research sector. Such REIT invests in real estate in residential and industries, medicinal fields, shops and large hotels.

Some other types of REITs (as traded in the US) are given below – 

• Private REITs: It is not -registered with government organisations, and they do not disclose the same level of information to investors as public companies would.

• Non-traded REITs are registered but owned privately, and they do not trade on major exchanges. Therefore, they are sometimes called public non listed REITs.

• Publicly traded stocks - These are registered with SEC and offer the best opportunity for public investors to gain through individual investments. But there are certain risk factors like if the stock declines in the sub-sector, it can cause a loss. In addition, some firms suffer due to poor management, bad business decision and high debt loans.  

• Publicly traded funds are the most advantageous as they offer investors enhanced safety. They fund projects in sub-sectors like residential, commercial, lodging and towers. It is most diversified but risky and won't pay high prices. 

• Prefered are the options just like bonds, and they get regular cash to the investors in the form of the dividend. 

Conclusion: 

The above discussion is about the available jobs in the REIT sector with a good salary and prospects. It has been one of the most developed industries in recent years, providing workers with better opportunities and money. As a result, some conventional ideas now suggest that it is the best career choice with multiple easily available jobs. 

In addition, research suggests they have high salary work, specifically for freshers; where you have REIT good career in many sectors like residential ( apartment buildings or single-family rental properties), office, industrial, healthcare, self-storage, retail, infrastructure and hospitality REITs.