Real Estate & Development Reporter

CDS Global•Austin, TX

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Austin American-Statesman is seeking an experienced reporter to cover Austin real estate, including home sales, residential trends, office, industrial, retail, and multifamily development, occupancy, and rent. The role also involves covering policies shaping growth in one of the fastest-growing regions. The ideal candidate will be proactive in breaking news, skilled at writing complex stories for broad appeal, and possess an entrepreneurial approach to the beat.

Requirements

At least five years of daily journalism experience.
At least three years of experience in business, real estate, or growth and development coverage.
A digital-first mindset with strong SEO, headline writing, and audience engagement skills.
Ability to manage breaking news alongside in-depth enterprise and analysis that influences policy discussions.
Experience working with public records and market data (building permits, market reports, state development filings, zoning cases, deed and plat records) and converting data into compelling stories.
Proficiency in using social platforms to track companies, officials, and community conversations.
Proven track record of source development in publicly traded, closely held, and private companies.
Experience covering earnings reports and SEC filings.
Ability to collaborate in a fast-paced environment with visuals, data, and audience teams across Hearst Texas newsrooms.
Willingness to think beyond daily stories to develop projects, reader products, and new distribution strategies.

Responsibilities

Break news and deliver exclusive enterprise on sales, leases, developments, and market trends in residential and commercial real estate.
Produce multi-platform stories, including articles, social video, data-rich interactives, and newsletter content.
Pitch and write three to five stories per week, encompassing breaking news, enterprise pieces, and investigations.
Identify trends by analyzing data from various sources such as municipalities, courts, state agencies, real estate associations, brokers, and banks.
Cultivate a network of sources including developers, builders, financiers, government officials, and neighborhood groups.
Utilize audience and performance data to inform story selection.
Collaborate with Audience and Multimedia teams on social video and community engagement.
Partner with the Regional Data team for stories requiring graphics, maps, and data visualization.
Develop recurring content like newsletters, databases, guides, and other products to assist readers with decisions about buying, renting, investing, and living in Central Texas.
Identify opportunities to transform reporting into practical tools such as searchable property databases, development trackers, market explainers, calculators, maps, and alerts.
Represent the Statesman at industry events, public meetings, community gatherings, and professional forums to build sources and audience relationships.