There can be money in land.

So, this recruiter has contacted me about land development jobs. He’s based outside the U.S, and works world-wide. I’ve talked with him on the phone a couple of times and he’s pretty connected. The last email I got from him was for a Director of Land Development job. $170k base and a performance bonus structure of up to 30% (that’s another $51k). That, plus full bennies. It wasn’t for me, but it got me to thinking about you…

What I was thinking about is that there can really be good money in land development outside of taking all the risk yourself as an owner developer. Not the kind of potential income from doing it all yourself, but decent nonetheless - as long as you think $200+ is decent pay.

What inspired me to post this article is that the recruiter had been telling me how incredibly hard it has been for him to fill open jobs in land development and that it’s been going on for a while. He tells me it’s an across the board problem and guess what?…problems can be opportunities.

Private development is risky:

As we know, private land development is risky because it is speculative. It’s an undertaking of substantial risk with no guarantee of success. I always advocate that prior to parting with money for a land development project, that the “do it on your own” investor first do an assessment. A self assessment is what I mean. Not all of us are cut out for the work, stress, and potential family turmoil that can result. See this past article for details:

*** Is Land Development For Me? — Land Development Realities ***

Taking a J.O.B. In land development:

Ok, let’s think about it. Where else besides real estate can you have a GED, a fair amount of independence, an “unfavorable” past experience in the court system, wear jeans every day, bring your dog to work and have the possibility of eventually making $200k per year after you advance in a dynamic environment where the sky is the limit?

Let’s take a look at some jobs in land development that are frequently available. These are entry and next level jobs that are almost universal in the industry.

Land Development Assistant:

This would be the entry point for the high energy tail-wager with zippo experience, but has a “whatever it takes” work attitude. It could be both administrative and field based. What you get is the chance to learn from experienced Project Managers who are making the money that you want to earn someday. Plus, you get to do every crappy little thing they don’t want to do. Pay is modest but there is more than one six figure Project Manager that started this way! It’s the chance to learn land with no prior experience, no real risk, and to stake your claim for future advancement.

Assistant Site Manager:

Some projects are big enough to require a dedicated Site Manager. The Site Manager’s Assistant is the gopher of all gopher jobs. You get to do everything from reporting important construction progress and ensuring project safety, all the way to cleaning up dog shit on the lawn of the community center. You’re the guy/gal that makes sure the construction gate is unlocked at dawn and locked up at sunset. You also run into existing residents all the time who are only to happy to share their opinions on the project. That being said, it’s a potential high-visibility gig and you get to work with a variety of people, including supervisors that could eventually promote you down the road.

Drone photographer:

I used a young man one time with a drone, a truck and some really good skills. He did all of my project drone photography and was always available on short notice. Since I am a private pilot, he and I spoke about aircraft a lot and he educated me on drones and I told him about what it takes to get a pilot’s license.

He started out his business pretty basic: A drone with an onboard camera. Then he went all over town knocking on the doors of land developers, builders, engineering firms and consultants. Finally, he washed up in front of me. We all liked the kid and his work so much that I recommended him for a full time job in land/home sales for a huge builder/developer that he wanted to work for. Now, he is off and running.

His recipe:
Show up, work hard, be reliable and do what you say.
Result:
He has a plum full time job with benefits in a company that promotes from within.

Land Development Project Manager:

Project Managers in land development have to earn their keep. It is typical to see requirements for a substantial and successful background in land development, but not always. If you have the right credentials like a Construction Management Degree or Civil Engineer, it could be an entry point. Also, there is a project manager shortage out there right now. The experienced guys are already set and hard to get anyway, so some companies are willing to take a risk with the less experienced candidate.

Project Managers are the direct contact and manager for nearly everything except acquisition and marketing (typically).

Here’s a partial list:
Due diligence
Budget
Entitlement
Managing the engineers/consultants
Permitting
RFP’s
Site Construction
HOA Boards
…and don’t forget: problem solving

Project Management requires someone who can juggle multiple balls at once and manage other team members with efficiency. Also, an individual that thrives on getting 50-100 emails per day, all requiring a response or action! It helps to be a skilled multi-tasker.

Now, the parts you must have:

You can come into real estate and land development with almost any background, but believe me when I say you better be able, willing and motivated to work. There’s no way around it and you can’t slide cause you’ll be out on your ear in no time.

When I started I did the “fake it till you make it” approach. My first investor knew I had no experience, but was willing to take the chance because he trusted me. His trust was well placed and I’ve had a long and profitable career in land development. So did he…

Contact me at: ldr@landdevelopmentrealities.com