Careers 101: California Real Estate Jobs

Published on 2008-05-08

Schools:

A number of California colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs in real estate within their school of business or economics, including specializations in real estate development, brokerage, management, etc. An undergraduate degree in finance, economics or business administration can also be useful for those who are interested in pursuing California real estate careers. State licensure and ongoing education is required for some occupations, including brokers and appraisers. Schools with real estate degree programs in CA include The University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business and California State University-Los Angeles. The University of Southern California in Los Angeles offers a master's program in real estate development.

Employers:

The California real estate market has been boom or bust over the past decade, with a predictable impact on both California real estate jobs and construction jobs. Within the California real estate industry proper, the mortgage sector has been especially hard hit by the subprime loan crisis. Competition from online transactions has also affected employment for agents and realtors. However, skilled and experienced real estate professionals should be able to find opportunities as investors respond to economic cycles in California and the U.S. as a whole.