Careers 101: Real Estate Jobs in New York

Published on 2008-06-18

Schools:

The educational requirements for real estate professionals have evolved in conjunction with the increasing legal and economic complexity of the industry. For example, as of this year, state certification for general real estate appraisal jobs can only be granted to appraisers who have a bachelor's degree or have earned the equivalent in credit hours. A bachelor's degree is recommended, if not required, for most other real estate jobs in New York. Despite the proliferation of university degree programs in real estate, many real estate professionals actually major in an unrelated subject and enter the industry as a career change. One survey by the National Association of Realtors found that real estate was the first career of only 7% of real estate agents. However, there are many excellent schools in New York at which one could earn a bachelor's or master's degree in a real estate-related subject. These include the Real Estate Institute at New York University; Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College; and New York City College of Technology.

Employers:

New York City is home to some of the largest real estate firms in the nation, including The Corcoran Group, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Miller Samuel, and Warburg Realty Partners. RealtyUSA, the largest independent real estate company in New York, is a primary source of Buffalo real estate jobs; it was founded in Buffalo in 1959.