Recent Grad Entry-Level Real Estate Options

[Natasha Graves]

I’m in my last year of undergraduate study and I will be graduating with a Bachelors of Architecture degree. I am looking to begin investing in residential real estate within my first year out of school, but as an Architecture major I know that means beefing up a lot of my financial/general business knowledge as significantly as possible. I’ve taken a Real Estate Principles course that was offered and have a general understanding of RE just through my own self-education, but to gain even more insight I’m looking to become employed in an area that connects my Architecture knowledge with finance (so I will also have a better resume for applying for my MBA if I so choose later on).

The closest route I have been thinking about is working for a construction firm – since there is typically more dialogue about the budget/financing than inside an architecture firm – but I wanted to ask you all what are the other best entry level positions for someone like me?

If location matters, I currently live in D.C. but will be moving back to Dallas once I graduate.