Associate, Real Estate Strategy (Built Environment)
About The Position
MKThink is a future-forward design firm grounded in spatial intelligence and dedicated to “Build Less, Solve More.” They work at the intersection of architecture, systems thinking, and strategy—helping institutions make better decisions about space, resources, and long-term impact. Their interdisciplinary team brings together designers, strategists, and analysts to solve complex challenges across workplaces, school districts, universities, and civic organizations. The firm is seeking an Associate, Real Estate Strategy to support their consulting work at the intersection of space, data, and organizational strategy. This role is suited for early- to mid-career professionals with experience in real estate consulting, planning, or economic development who are ready to take on meaningful responsibility. Candidates should be able to work independently, think critically, and contribute to project work with limited oversight while continuing to grow within MKThink’s frameworks. Rather than focusing on single-asset development or pure financial underwriting, this position centers on shaping portfolio-level strategies, investment priorities, and system-wide decisions that guide how organizations deploy and optimize their real estate assets.
Requirements
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including financial modeling and data analysis
- Familiarity with Census and other data sources commonly used in real estate market and needs analyses
- Ability to synthesize research and translate findings into actionable insights
- Understanding of real estate fundamentals, including development processes and market dynamics
- Strong problem-solving and systems thinking capabilities
- Excellent communication and storytelling across written and verbal formats
- Ability to direct visual output for effective storytelling
- Ability to structure work, manage time effectively, and produce high-quality outputs with limited direction
- Proficiency with Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint)
- Self-awareness and willingness to continuously improve
- Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and seek support when needed
- Flexibility in collaborating with teams and clients; able to receive, clarify, and incorporate feedback
- Demonstrates kindness and actively supports colleagues
- Demonstrated interest in at least one of the following: The role of real estate in supporting organizational or public-sector outcomes; The impact of built environment solutions on community strength, human health, environmental resiliency, or learning outcomes
- Graduate degree preferred in one of the following or similar: Urban Planning, Real Estate Development, Architecture / Business joint degree
- 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in real estate consulting, economic development, planning, or a related field
Nice To Haves
- Experience with data analysis tools or GIS
- Familiarity with Adobe Suite or visualization tools
- Experience in project management
- Interdisciplinary experience bridging real estate, planning, and strategy
Responsibilities
- Contribute to client engagements to define and frame complex challenges related to asset portfolios, performance, and organizational goals
- Conduct research to build a systems-level understanding of the problem context
- Help develop guiding principles and success metrics
- Identify data needs and opportunities to strengthen decision-making
- Collaborate with analysts to analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights, working with large, sometimes incomplete datasets
- Conduct real estate portfolio and opportunity analysis, need assessments, and scenario modeling
- Develop models to evaluate investment strategies, portfolio optimization, and phasing scenarios
- Translate findings into clear implications for real estate portfolio and organizational strategy
- Collaborate with planning and design strategists to connect findings with physical outcomes
- Contribute to the development of portfolio strategies, asset plans, and investment frameworks
- Support the development of implementation roadmaps and phasing strategies
- Help define opportunities for consolidation, adaptive reuse, and more efficient use of existing assets
- Produce clear, well-structured deliverables, including presentations, reports, and strategy documents
- Support interviews, workshops, and client meetings
- Communicate complex ideas clearly to various stakeholder audiences
- Support project planning and coordination
- Develop presentations and deliverables
- Assist with business development materials
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
1-10 employees
