If you’re interested in a career connected to housing, construction, property management, or residential design, there are several promising and impactful professional roles to consider pursuing with the proper educational background and training.
Here are some diverse yet rewarding career paths to explore if you’re looking to enter the vast housing industry with your college degree:
1. Become a Licensed Real Estate Agent
One route is getting licensed as a residential or commercial real estate agent, where you’ll work as an independent contractor assisting home buyers and sellers in navigating real estate transactions for a commission.
Complete required pre-licensure education courses on topics like local regulations, fair housing, contracts, and sales. Then, pass your state exam. Strong communication, negotiation, and networking abilities are a must in this role. Real estate agents help clients buy, sell, rent, and invest in properties successfully.
2. Work as a Property Manager
Consider overseeing residential or commercial properties day-to-day as a professional property manager. Earning a bachelor’s degree in real estate management, finance, or business management combined with on-site property management training prepares you well for this fast-paced, detail-oriented role.
Property managers handle operations, maintenance, budgets, vendor relations, and tenant needs for their assigned properties.
3. Become a Housing Authority Director
Local housing authorities across the country provide affordable subsidized public housing for income-qualifying residents.
With an educational background in fields like public administration, government, social work, or community development, you can eventually work your way up to executive director positions guiding housing authority programs. Advanced degrees aid career advancement.
4. Become a Mortgage Loan Officer
Finance or banking-related college degrees align well with becoming a mortgage loan officer. In this client-facing role, you’ll meet with applicants to explain different home loan programs and options, collect documentation and data to pre-qualify buyers and guide clients through the financing process from application to closing.
Strong analytical thinking and sales skills are musts.
5. Begin Working as a Home Inspector
Home inspectors conduct detailed physical and functional assessments of properties during sale transactions to identify any issues that may need repair and ensure the dwellings meet municipal codes, zoning, and buyer expectations.
You can prepare to become a home inspector through training programs, apprenticeships, or construction science college degrees. Having a strong technical aptitude is essential.
6. Manage an Assisted Living Facility
Assisted living administrators oversee daily staff operations, resident care, activities programming, budgets, policies, and procedures at senior assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
Good preparation for this role includes earning a healthcare administration or social sciences degree, like to try an assisted living management degree, which provides training on regulatory compliance, finance, and working with older demographics.
7. Become an Architect
Finally, residential architects design aesthetically appealing, highly functional living spaces ranging from private homes to large apartment communities.
Complete a Bachelor of Architecture degree (B.Arch) that includes extensive studio work, plus complete internship experience, in order to qualify for licensure as a registered architect. Having strong spatial relation skills is vital for the design elements.
8. Construction Manager
Construction managers oversee teams, budgets, timelines, and safety protocols on building projects from residential remodels to high-rise developments. A construction management degree, along with hands-on experience, prepares you for this fast-paced role. Construction managers coordinate all aspects of projects from start to finish to ensure quality and efficiency.
In summary
The housing sector offers diverse career paths spanning real estate, property management, community development, construction, design, and more. With the right college degree specialization and training, you can find your ideal professional niche that matches your talents and makes a difference.
