Real Estate Transaction Associate
1 day ago
Columbia
The Real Estate Transaction Associate plays a dual role at the intersection of project development and transaction execution. This position manages the full commercial real estate development lifecycle — from initial acquisition through construction and completion — while also owning the end-to-end closing process for a high-volume portfolio of properties. Working cross-functionally with the Finance team, inside counsel, Treasury, and a broad network of external partners, the Associate ensures that dozens of simultaneous projects stay on schedule, on budget, and fully documented. This is a high-impact, high-accountability role requiring exceptional organizational skills, strong relationship management instincts, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment. • Manage the real estate development lifecycle for dozens of commercial properties simultaneously, tracking each project from initial acquisition through construction and completion, • Develop and maintain project schedules, milestone trackers, and budget summaries for all active developments, • Identify risks, delays, and budget variances early; escalate issues and drive resolution with internal stakeholders, • Coordinate across all development phases — site control, entitlement, design, permitting, construction, and closeout — ensuring seamless handoffs between stages, • Prepare and distribute regular project status reports for the Finance team and senior leadership, • Serve as the primary point of contact for external partners including engineers, architects, general contractors, and government agencies, • Drive follow-through on all outstanding items including permits, approvals, inspections, and municipal submissions, • Build and maintain productive working relationships with vendors, consultants, and public officials to facilitate timely project delivery, • Coordinate and lead project calls and meetings; document action items and hold all parties accountable to commitments, • Liaise with other internal entity teams as needed to align on shared project goals and timelines, • Work closely with the internal Treasury & Finance team to manage development project financing, draw requests, and budget tracking, • Communicate with external banks and investors to support project financing needs, reporting obligations, and loan compliance requirements, • Assist in preparing financial summaries, development proformas, and budget-to-actual reports for active projects, • Track capital expenditure schedules and flag variances to the Director of Finance, • Coordinate with inside counsel and lenders on financing documentation, draw packages, and closing deliverables, • Manage end-to-end closing logistics for commercial real estate acquisitions, including due diligence coordination, lender deliverables, and signature packages, • Order and track title commitments, surveys, appraisals, environmental assessments (Phase I/II), and zoning reports; maintain a master due diligence checklist per transaction, • Compile and submit lender packages including title, appraisal, insurance certificates, organizational documents, and entity formation materials; follow up on open conditions, • Coordinate execution of closing documents, schedule closings and notary appointments, and confirm wire transfers with all parties, • Serve as point of contact between inside counsel, title companies, lenders, internal stakeholders, and other entity teams during closing week, • Assist with preparation of closing statements, prorations, and settlement cost summaries under inside counsel supervision, • Maintain organized, accurate, and audit-ready records for all real estate properties, development projects, and transaction files, • Assemble post-closing binders (digital and/or physical) including recorded documents, title policies, loan documents, and ancillary agreements, • Manage the company's document management system to ensure all project files are current, complete, and properly categorized, • Track project milestones, permitting deadlines, loan maturities, and construction timelines across all active properties, • Archive closed transaction and project files in accordance with company retention policies, • Draft and send status update emails to vendors, lenders, title companies, contractors, government agencies, and internal stakeholders, • Monitor transaction and project email threads; route communications appropriately and ensure nothing falls through the cracks, • Maintain calendars, deadline trackers, and closing timelines for all active deals and development projects, • Prepare internal reports, deal summaries, and project updates for team meetings and leadership review, • 3–5 years of experience in commercial real estate development, project coordination, transaction management, or a closely related field, • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines simultaneously without sacrificing accuracy or detail, • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience interfacing with external partners such as contractors, engineers, lenders, or government agencies, • Proficient in Google Suite and all associated platforms (Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Meet, etc.); comfortable with document management systems, • High degree of financial literacy; comfortable working with budgets, draw schedules, and project cost tracking, • Proven organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail, • Self-directed and reliable; able to manage competing priorities with minimal supervision, • Familiarity with commercial real estate development processes including entitlement, permitting, construction management, and project closeout, • Experience with real estate transaction management and due diligence processes (title, survey, appraisal, environmental, zoning), • Prior exposure to real estate financing, lender communications, or Treasury operations, • Experience with project management or transaction management software (e.g., Procore, Dealpath, Juniper Square, or similar), • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business Administration, Construction Management, or a related field