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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Real Estate

💰 $120,000 - $250,000

Real EstateLeadershipOperationsCorporate

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Real Estate is a senior strategic leader charged with end-to-end management of the organization’s real estate portfolio — including site selection, acquisitions, leasing, dispositions, development, capital planning, and property operations. This role partners with senior leadership, finance, legal, facilities, construction, and external advisors to drive value through portfolio optimization, space strategy, cost control, and disciplined execution of transaction and development activity. The Director of Real Estate is accountable for financial performance (NOI, occupancy, ROI), risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and delivering a scalable real estate platform that supports growth and ESG/sustainability objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Real Estate Manager / Head of Real Estate Operations
  • Asset Manager or Portfolio Manager (commercial/retail/industrial/office)
  • Director of Development or Construction Manager

Advancement To:

  • Vice President / SVP, Real Estate or Head of Global Real Estate
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Real Estate Officer (CREO)
  • Head of Corporate Development or Head of Property Investments

Lateral Moves:

  • Head of Facilities & Workplace Strategy
  • Director of Development and Construction
  • Head of Lease Administration & Portfolio Optimization

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Own the strategic direction and execution of the company’s real estate portfolio strategy, including site selection, acquisition, disposition, leasing, development, and asset management to meet growth, financial and operational targets.
  • Lead and manage all major real estate transactions from RFP/site identification through negotiation, due diligence, contract execution and close, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and risk tolerance.
  • Develop and maintain multi-year real estate plans and scenario models (capacity, footprint optimization, lease rollovers) to support business growth, consolidation, or expansion initiatives.
  • Build and present compelling business cases and financial models (NPV, IRR, cash flow forecasts, sensitivity analyses) for new acquisitions, developments and major lease commitments to the executive team and Board.
  • Direct portfolio-level financial stewardship, owning budget development and forecasting for rent, common area maintenance, utilities, property taxes, insurance and capital expenditures to protect NOI and optimize occupancy cost per square foot.
  • Establish and track portfolio KPIs (occupancy rates, leasing velocity, rent per SF, tenant improvement costs, yield on cost) and deliver regular performance reporting and actionable insights to senior leadership.
  • Lead lease negotiations for complex landlord and tenant agreements (including long-term leases, subleases, renewals, expansions, and terminations), securing favorable terms, concessions and protections for the company.
  • Manage acquisition and disposition processes, leading vendor selection, financial underwriting, site due diligence, environmental assessments, title work, and closing efficiencies to mitigate risk and maximize value.
  • Oversee development and redevelopment programs, coordinating entitlement, design, permitting, contractor selection and construction management to deliver projects on schedule, on budget and to quality standards.
  • Direct capital project management including prioritization of CapEx requests, oversight of capital budgeting, procurement, contract administration and vendor performance management.
  • Partner with Legal, Risk and Compliance to ensure lease, purchase and development contracts enforceable and compliant with regulatory, zoning, environmental and corporate risk policies.
  • Lead the lease administration and portfolio systems strategy (Yardi, MRI, VTS, Argus or equivalent), ensuring accurate lease data, critical dates, and audit-quality records to enable robust lease accounting and reporting.
  • Manage relationships with landlords, brokers, joint venture partners, lenders and other external stakeholders to secure advantageous deals and cultivate long-term partnerships and market intelligence.
  • Drive cross-functional collaboration with Finance, HR, IT and Business Units to align workplace strategy, headcount planning and occupancy requirements with real estate planning and cost optimization.
  • Establish and maintain standardized procurement and vendor management practices for property services, security, cleaning, maintenance and facilities contracts to control operating cost and service levels.
  • Lead the real estate team, including hiring, developing talent, setting objectives, conducting performance reviews and creating succession plans to build a high-performing organization.
  • Implement and champion sustainability, energy efficiency and ESG initiatives across the portfolio to reduce operating costs, meet corporate sustainability goals and enhance tenant experience.
  • Create risk mitigation strategies for portfolio exposure (market cycles, lease expirations, concentration risk) and maintain contingency plans for critical site continuity and business resilience.
  • Oversee tenant experience, workplace amenities and service-level agreements to ensure operational excellence and employee/customer satisfaction across leased and owned assets.
  • Manage capital markets activities as needed, including lender engagement, debt negotiations, refinance strategies, and coordination of investor reporting for joint ventures and portfolio investors.
  • Conduct competitive market analysis, rental rate benchmarking and demographic research to inform site selection, rent setting and redevelopment opportunities.
  • Ensure accurate and timely financial and operational reporting, including preparation of materials for executive leadership, audit teams and external stakeholders.
  • Serve as the internal subject matter expert for real estate strategy, providing counsel to product, operations, retail/market teams and senior leadership on property-related implications of corporate initiatives.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc executive requests for real estate scenario modeling, ROI analyses and space planning alternatives.
  • Maintain and improve real estate data governance, lease database hygiene and reporting templates to enhance decision-making and LLM- and analytics-readiness.
  • Contribute to company-wide policy development for workplace, travel, and real estate expense governance to ensure consistency across regions.
  • Participate in cross-functional committees (security, sustainability, workplace, business continuity) to align real estate objectives with enterprise programs.
  • Mentor and coach real estate managers and analysts on best practices in underwriting, negotiation and project delivery.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced financial modeling and underwriting skills (DCF, NPV, IRR, sensitivity analysis) for acquisitions, dispositions and development projects.
  • Proficiency with real estate software and platforms such as Argus, Yardi, MRI, VTS, CoStar, REoptimizer or equivalent.
  • Lease negotiation and commercial lease structuring expertise (gross/net leases, CAM, TI allowances, subordination, estoppel, termination rights).
  • Capital project and construction management acumen, including budgeting, scheduling, contractor selection and change-order control.
  • Experience with lease accounting standards (ASC 842 / IFRS 16) and supporting lease data for audit and financial close processes.
  • Strong knowledge of local zoning, entitlement, land use, environmental due diligence (Phase I/II), permitting and development approvals.
  • Asset management and portfolio optimization skills: KPI tracking, NOI improvement, occupancy management and rent roll analysis.
  • Experience leading acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and capital markets transactions including lender negotiations and refinancing.
  • Proficiency in Excel (advanced formulas, macros), PowerPoint and business intelligence tools (Tableau, Power BI) for reporting and executive presentations.
  • Vendor and contract management capability including RFP development, vendor performance metrics and SLA management.
  • Knowledge of sustainability programs, energy performance contracting, green building certifications (LEED, BREEAM) and ESG reporting metrics.
  • Familiarity with cross-border real estate transactions and tax/structuring considerations for international portfolios (if applicable).

Soft Skills

  • Strategic leadership with the ability to translate business strategy into real estate actions and measurable outcomes.
  • Strong negotiation and influencing skills, able to secure favorable terms with landlords, developers, lenders and partners.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience briefing C-suite and Board-level stakeholders.
  • High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management, balancing competing priorities across business units and external partners.
  • Project-oriented and results-driven with exceptional prioritization, problem solving and decision-making under ambiguity.
  • Team leadership and talent development—recruiting, mentoring and retaining high-performing real estate professionals.
  • Change management capability to lead consolidation, growth or transformation initiatives across portfolio and workplace programs.
  • Analytical mindset with attention to detail and a bias for data-driven recommendations.
  • Resilience and adaptability to navigate market cycles, regulatory changes and complex negotiations.
  • Strong ethical judgment and compliance orientation in contract and vendor relationships.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction Management or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • MBA, Master’s in Real Estate or related advanced degree; professional designations preferred (CCIM, SIOR, RICS accreditation or similar).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Real Estate Development
  • Finance / Corporate Finance
  • Business Administration / Strategy
  • Urban Planning / Architecture
  • Construction Management
  • Law (preferable for contract-heavy roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 10–15+ years of progressive real estate experience, including 5+ years in leadership or director-level roles managing cross-functional teams and multi-market portfolios.

Preferred: Demonstrated track record of leading large-scale lease negotiations, successful acquisitions/dispositions, and development projects; experience managing portfolios across retail, industrial, office or mixed-use asset classes; prior P&L responsibility and experience partnering with corporate finance, legal, and operations teams.

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