Director of Trust Real Estate

BMO•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Director of Trust Real Estate serves as a senior subject-matter expert responsible for the comprehensive management of real estate assets held in fiduciary accounts under OCC Reg 9 and applicable state trust laws. This role is an individual contributor who oversees a complex, multi-state portfolio of residential, commercial, agricultural, and special-use real estate. The Director will drive risk-mitigation, regulatory compliance, asset-value optimization, and client experience standards.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in real estate asset management, trust real estate, commercial property management, appraisal, or related fields.
Strong working knowledge of fiduciary standards, OCC Reg 9, real estate transfer requirements, and trust-administration practices.
Demonstrated expertise managing a complex, multi-state real estate portfolio.
Excellent analytical, valuation, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence internal committees and external partners.
Ability to thrive as a senior individual contributor with minimal supervision.
Experience in a bank trust department or corporate fiduciary environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
Demonstrated leadership potential and interest in growing into people-management responsibilities.
Operate with a high level of fiduciary judgment and business maturity.
Demonstrate balanced decision-making that accounts for risk, value, beneficiary needs, and regulatory expectations.
Build credibility across Wealth, Trust Administration, Compliance, Risk, and Senior Leadership.
Take ownership for elevating the bank’s real estate governance model and driving best-in-class fiduciary outcomes.
Exhibit leadership characteristics aligned with a future manager or department head, including collaboration, delegation readiness, coaching, empathy, sense of humor and strategic thinking

Responsibilities

Real Estate Asset Management
Serve as the primary fiduciary owner-representative for a diverse portfolio of trust-held real estate assets.
Conduct and/or oversee property inspections, valuations, environmental assessments, and market analyses.
Develop and execute asset-level strategies to maximize long-term value, income generation, and client objectives.
Approve leasing, sales, renovations, capital projects, and operating budgets for trust-held properties.
Manage vendor relationships including brokers, property managers, appraisers, attorneys, contractors, and environmental consultants.
Fiduciary Governance & Risk Management
Ensure compliance with OCC Regulation 9, internal fiduciary policies, Reg-12 standards, and enterprise risk frameworks.
Identify, assess, and remediate material risks—including environmental, title, concentration, market, and operational risks.
Prepare, present, and defend real estate reviews, valuations, and recommendations to the Trust Investment Committee or Real Estate Subcommittee.
Maintain meticulous documentation to support fiduciary decision-making and regulatory examinations.
Client & Stakeholder Engagement
Serve as the real estate expert for trust officers, wealth advisors, private bankers, and internal leadership.
Communicate complex real estate considerations in a clear, actionable manner to beneficiaries, grantors, and co-trustees.
Partner with internal legal, risk, and credit teams to support dispute resolution, litigation response, and estate settlements.
Strategic Contribution & Leadership Development
Lead enterprise-level initiatives to enhance real estate processes, due-diligence standards, and monitoring frameworks.
Represent Trust Real Estate in cross-functional working groups, including policy updates, technology enhancements, and vendor selection.
Mentor junior team members and contribute to talent planning as part of a formal succession-track development path.
Provide strategic insights into future staffing, geographic expansion, and operating-model evolution.