With Entry-Level CRE Jobs Down 19%, Pressure Mounts On Young Talent Who Break In

Internships in commercial real estate used to be a gateway — a low-stakes way to dip a toe in the industry. Today, they’re high-pressure, high-stakes opportunities for a shrinking pool of young professionals trying to break in.  Fiona Cunningham, a college student interning at NAI Hiffman this summer, isn’t fetching coffee or entering data. She’s building marketing collateral, contributing to broker tools and running a social media takeover campaign. Citlali Rizo, a construction intern at McHugh Construction, is managing submittals and requests for information for a penthouse build-out at the United Center. “I've never felt bored a single day on the job,” said Rizo, who...