OPT Real Estate Development Jobs
Real estate development jobs on OPT typically fall under specialty occupation roles in urban planning, finance, or project management, making them compatible with both STEM and non-STEM OPT. Employers range from large REITs and development firms to city agencies. Your 12-month window (or 36 months on STEM OPT) gives you time to build a project portfolio and pursue H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Providing for loved ones, planning rewarding retirements, saving enough for whatever lies ahead – our policyholders count on us to be there when it matters most. It’s a big ask, but it’s one that we have the power to deliver when we work together. We collaborate and innovate – pushing one another to transform not just Pacific Life, but the entire industry for the better. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Pacific Life is more than a job, it’s a career with purpose. It’s a career where you have the support, balance, and resources to make a positive impact on the future – including your own.
We’re actively seeking talented Real Estate Associates to join our Real Estate Commercial Mortgage team in metro Chicago (Oak Park, IL). Hybrid schedule is in office Monday-Thursday and work from home on Fridays. As a Real Estate Associate, you’ll play a key role in Pacific Life’s continued growth and long-term success by providing analytical, underwriting, due diligence, and closing support for the loan production efforts in the Central Regional Office that covers the major Central US metros within Illinois, Texas, Florida, etc.
Pacific Life’s Commercial Mortgage team focuses on a variety of property types and strategies across the United States including construction, permanent, bridge and fixed and floating rate loans. As of December 31, 2025, Pacific Life’s mortgage loan investments totaled approximately $30 billion.
How you’ll help move us forward:
- Perform in a supporting role to solicit, structure and underwrite commercial and multifamily mortgage loans that meet Pacific Life’s investment objectives.
- Research and evaluate locational, market, and property specific data.
- Conduct rent roll, income, and expense analysis.
- Create/modify complex cash flow models in Argus and Excel for commercial and multifamily properties.
- Organize and support analysis, draw objective conclusions.
- Present verbal and written recommendations to Pacific Life’s Real Estate Investment Committee.
- Review and analyze transaction documents and third-party reports as part of the due diligence and closing process.
- Interface with institutional-quality borrowers, brokers, and third-party service providers.
- Work cohesively with Pacific Life Investments in-house mortgage loan origination teams, closing, construction services, asset management, capital markets, and loan servicing teams.
- Some travel required to evaluate investment opportunities and market Pacific Life loan programs.
The experience you bring:
- Bachelor's Degree (BS/BA)
- 3-5 years related experience in evaluating and underwriting investment merits and risk associated with commercial real estate.
- Strong in software applications for real estate analysis including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Argus, with ability to quickly learn new program applications.
- Excellent analytical, research and creative problem-solving abilities.
- Strong communications and presentation skills, able to interface with top level executives.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills to prioritize workflow and deadlines, self-starter with the ability to work independently with a team player attitude.
What makes you stand out:
- A Master’s Degree in Real Estate or MBA – strongly preferred.
- Experience with multi-family, industrial, retail and office property types is desirable.
- Prior commercial real estate debt underwriting experience (beyond internships) and knowledge of capital markets.
- Proficiency with Argus strongly preferred.
Base Pay Range:
The base pay range noted represents the company’s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications and geographic location. Also, most employees are eligible for additional incentive pay.
$124,830.00 - $152,570.00
Your Benefits Start Day 1
Your wellbeing is important to Pacific Life, and we’re committed to providing you with flexible benefits that you can tailor to meet your needs. Whether you are focusing on your physical, financial, emotional, or social wellbeing, we’ve got you covered.
- Prioritization of your health and well-being including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Wellbeing Reimbursement Account that can be used on yourself or your eligible dependents
- Generous paid time off options including: Paid Time Off, Holiday Schedules, and Financial Planning Time Off
- Paid Parental Leave as well as an Adoption Assistance Program
- Competitive 401k savings plan with company match and an additional contribution regardless of participation
You Can Be Who You Are
We are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion that embraces the authenticity of all employees, partners and communities. We support all employees to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.
EEO Statement:
Pacific Life Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Human Resources Representative at Pacific Life Insurance Company.
Job Description:
Providing for loved ones, planning rewarding retirements, saving enough for whatever lies ahead – our policyholders count on us to be there when it matters most. It’s a big ask, but it’s one that we have the power to deliver when we work together. We collaborate and innovate – pushing one another to transform not just Pacific Life, but the entire industry for the better. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Pacific Life is more than a job, it’s a career with purpose. It’s a career where you have the support, balance, and resources to make a positive impact on the future – including your own.
We’re actively seeking talented Real Estate Associates to join our Real Estate Commercial Mortgage team in metro Chicago (Oak Park, IL). Hybrid schedule is in office Monday-Thursday and work from home on Fridays. As a Real Estate Associate, you’ll play a key role in Pacific Life’s continued growth and long-term success by providing analytical, underwriting, due diligence, and closing support for the loan production efforts in the Central Regional Office that covers the major Central US metros within Illinois, Texas, Florida, etc.
Pacific Life’s Commercial Mortgage team focuses on a variety of property types and strategies across the United States including construction, permanent, bridge and fixed and floating rate loans. As of December 31, 2025, Pacific Life’s mortgage loan investments totaled approximately $30 billion.
How you’ll help move us forward:
- Perform in a supporting role to solicit, structure and underwrite commercial and multifamily mortgage loans that meet Pacific Life’s investment objectives.
- Research and evaluate locational, market, and property specific data.
- Conduct rent roll, income, and expense analysis.
- Create/modify complex cash flow models in Argus and Excel for commercial and multifamily properties.
- Organize and support analysis, draw objective conclusions.
- Present verbal and written recommendations to Pacific Life’s Real Estate Investment Committee.
- Review and analyze transaction documents and third-party reports as part of the due diligence and closing process.
- Interface with institutional-quality borrowers, brokers, and third-party service providers.
- Work cohesively with Pacific Life Investments in-house mortgage loan origination teams, closing, construction services, asset management, capital markets, and loan servicing teams.
- Some travel required to evaluate investment opportunities and market Pacific Life loan programs.
The experience you bring:
- Bachelor's Degree (BS/BA)
- 3-5 years related experience in evaluating and underwriting investment merits and risk associated with commercial real estate.
- Strong in software applications for real estate analysis including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Argus, with ability to quickly learn new program applications.
- Excellent analytical, research and creative problem-solving abilities.
- Strong communications and presentation skills, able to interface with top level executives.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills to prioritize workflow and deadlines, self-starter with the ability to work independently with a team player attitude.
What makes you stand out:
- A Master’s Degree in Real Estate or MBA – strongly preferred.
- Experience with multi-family, industrial, retail and office property types is desirable.
- Prior commercial real estate debt underwriting experience (beyond internships) and knowledge of capital markets.
- Proficiency with Argus strongly preferred.
Base Pay Range:
The base pay range noted represents the company’s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications and geographic location. Also, most employees are eligible for additional incentive pay.
$124,830.00 - $152,570.00
Your Benefits Start Day 1
Your wellbeing is important to Pacific Life, and we’re committed to providing you with flexible benefits that you can tailor to meet your needs. Whether you are focusing on your physical, financial, emotional, or social wellbeing, we’ve got you covered.
- Prioritization of your health and well-being including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Wellbeing Reimbursement Account that can be used on yourself or your eligible dependents
- Generous paid time off options including: Paid Time Off, Holiday Schedules, and Financial Planning Time Off
- Paid Parental Leave as well as an Adoption Assistance Program
- Competitive 401k savings plan with company match and an additional contribution regardless of participation
You Can Be Who You Are
We are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion that embraces the authenticity of all employees, partners and communities. We support all employees to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.
EEO Statement:
Pacific Life Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Human Resources Representative at Pacific Life Insurance Company.
See all 422+ OPT Real Estate Development Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Real Estate Development Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Real Estate Development
Target firms with active development pipelines
Large REITs, national developers, and institutional real estate firms file H-1B visa petitions regularly. A firm actively building projects has more budget and incentive to retain talent than a small boutique shop with one or two deals per year.
Frame your role as a specialty occupation early
Real estate development roles that require a finance, urban planning, or civil engineering degree are strong specialty occupation candidates. Clarify your degree-to-role connection in your resume and cover letter before an employer raises the question themselves.
Pursue STEM OPT extension if your degree qualifies
Degrees in civil engineering, finance, urban planning, or environmental science often qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying, since STEM eligibility directly affects how long you can work without H-1B selection.
Get involved in the deal process, not just support tasks
Employers are more likely to sponsor someone whose departure would hurt active deals. Positioning yourself on underwriting, entitlements, or construction oversight, rather than administrative support, builds the case that your role is specialized and hard to replace.
Ask about sponsorship before accepting an offer
Real estate firms vary widely on visa sponsorship. Ask directly during the offer stage whether the company has sponsored H-1B employees before and whether they work with immigration counsel. Discovering incompatibility after starting wastes precious OPT time.
Build relationships with project managers and principals
Sponsorship decisions in real estate often come from senior leadership, not HR. Building trust with project leads and principals, who can advocate internally for retaining you, matters more than in industries where HR drives hiring policy centrally.
Real Estate Development OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a real estate development job qualify as a specialty occupation for OPT and H-1B purposes?
Real estate development roles can qualify as specialty occupations when the position requires a specific bachelor's degree or higher in a field like urban planning, finance, civil engineering, or architecture. Generalist roles where any degree is accepted are harder to support. The strongest cases link a specific degree field directly to the technical tasks the job requires.
Can I work for a real estate developer on OPT without employer sponsorship?
Yes. OPT work authorization is tied to your F-1 status and SEVIS record, not to employer sponsorship. Your employer does not file anything with USCIS to hire you on OPT. They simply need to report your employment to your DSO within 10 days and confirm the role is related to your degree field.
How do I find real estate development employers who are open to OPT and future H-1B sponsorship?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and surfaces real estate development roles at employers with a history of sponsoring work visas. Filtering by visa sponsorship history saves time compared to applying broadly and discovering incompatibility at the offer stage, when changing course is costly.
Does my OPT employment in real estate development need to be full-time?
USCIS requires OPT employment to be at least 20 hours per week and directly related to your degree field. Full-time is preferable if you plan to pursue a STEM OPT extension later, as part-time employment still counts but raises more scrutiny when your DSO certifies the training plan. Unpaid roles are allowed but must still meet the degree-relatedness requirement.
What degree fields support OPT authorization for real estate development roles?
Urban planning, civil engineering, real estate finance, architecture, environmental science, business administration with a real estate concentration, and construction management degrees all support OPT authorization for development roles. The key is that your specific job duties must connect to what your degree program trained you to do. Your DSO makes the initial determination, but the employer and USCIS may also assess the connection for H-1B purposes later.