Careers in the built environment (real estate)

The built environment offers a huge range of career destinations—from global property firms and design studios to infrastructure giants, social housing innovators, and specialist consultancies. Whether you're interested in shaping skylines, designing inclusive spaces, managing multimillion-pound projects, or driving sustainability and social impact, there’s a place for you.

• Architecture and design studios: Creative and technical roles exist in architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture. Firms range from global practices like Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Gensler, to smaller studios focused on community-led or sustainable design.

• Design and Build companies: These firms integrate design, strategy, and construction under one roof, offering streamlined project delivery and creative control. Examples include AIS Interiors,  Area, known for workplace and life sciences environments, and OD Group, which specialises in commercial fit-outs and refurbishment projects.

• Tier one contractors: Major construction firms such as Willmott Dixon, Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Laing O’Rourke, Mace, and Kier deliver large-scale construction and infrastructure and building projects. These companies offer graduate schemes and entry-level roles in project management, commercial management, site engineering, health and safety, and sustainability.

• Large property companies: Full-service firms like  Cushman & Wakefield,  CBRE, Lendlease,  Savills,  Avison Young, and Knight Frank operate across commercial, residential, retail, and industrial markets. Many offer graduate schemes in surveying, development, and asset management.

• Management consultancies: Firms such as Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG have real estate and urbanisation teams that combine property expertise with business and financial advisory. Entry routes vary—some offer general graduate schemes, while others may require a relevant master’s or prior experience.

• Multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies: Global firms like Arup, Turner and Townsend, WSP, Mott MacDonald, Atkins, and Amey work across infrastructure, transport, and urban development. Graduate schemes span commercial and project management, consultancy, surveying, economics and policy, GIS, urban design, and town and transport planning.

• Owners and occupiers: Major organisations that own or manage property portfolios—such as local authorities, Network Rail, the NHS, and commercial giants —offer property-related graduate schemes and roles in estates, facilities, and asset management.

• Real estate finance and investment: Roles exist within broad asset management firms and niche investment companies. Examples include BNP Paribas Real Estate, Eastdil, and Värde Partners, offering opportunities in real estate finance, investment analysis, and portfolio strategy. 

• Housing and development: This includes housebuilders, property developers, and housing associations. Social housing providers like Southern Housing and Peabody are among the UK’s largest homebuilders. Innovative firms like Pocket Living, Urban Intelligence, and The Collective offer roles in planning, sustainability, and community development.

• Social impact organisations and charities: A number of charities and social enterprises use construction to drive positive change—supporting young people, tackling homelessness, and improving wellbeing. Organisations like Construction Youth Trust and YouthBuild UK help underrepresented groups access training and careers in the sector. Charities such as CRASH, Band of Buiders, and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity work with industry partners to deliver life-changing projects and support workers facing hardship. These organisations reflect the sector’s growing commitment to inclusion, community impact, and social responsibility.

There are a huge number of different job roles in this sector. We've outlined roles that are often of interest to LSE students with links to where you can find more information. If you can, try to talk to someone who's doing the jobs you're interested in, so you can get a real flavour of what it's like. 

• Chartered surveyor – activities relate to the management, purchase, sale or leasing of land and property, as well as valuing and surveying property. Qualification involves completing the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The RICS 'What is surveying?' page provides further information.
• Quantity surveyor – manages building and projects costs, from the initial calculations to the final figures. Works either for the client or the contractor. The role has a strong project management component. Check out the Prospects Quantity surveyor job profile.
• Property manager – involved in the general operation, maintenance, and administration of properties. Works for organisations that own or lease properties, eg, retailers, high street banks and large public sector organisations like the NHS, etc. Property Personnel gives a useful overview of a career in property management.
• Real estate finance analyst – could work in-house, in investment banking, corporate finance or a specialist real estate private equity organisation. Role may require financial modelling skills.
• Town and regional planner – focusses on how towns, cities etc. are built, improving sustainability and community living spaces. The work can cover areas including planning policy, urban design, environmental planning, development management, regeneration and heritage. The Royal Institute of Town Planners (RTPI) provides further information about different roles.
• Transport planner – works on policies, projects and plans relating to all kinds of transport systems, including road and rail networks, pedestrian systems and air travel. The Prospects Transport planner job profile provides further details.
• Project manager – delivering projects on time and to budget, roles are common across the engineering and property sector and are often open to a range of degree disciplines. Check out the Prospects Project manager job profile.
• Planning and development surveyor – takes a broad perspective and provides clients with advice on development and investment choices. The Prospects Planning and development surveyor job profile provides useful information.
• Housing manager – manages housing and related services, working for housing associations, local authorities, charities, or private sector organisations. The Chartered Institute of Housing offers a detailed breakdown of different roles, and the Prospects Housing manager/officer job profile tells you more.
• Estate agent – values and markets properties. The larger estate agencies often have graduate schemes. The Prospects Estate Agent profile provides further details.
• Sustainability manager – develops and implements environmental strategies across projects or portfolios. Often works in construction, property, or consultancy firms.
• Social value manager – ensures projects deliver community benefits and long-term social impact. Increasingly important in public sector and infrastructure work.
• Marketing manager – promotes services, projects, and brand identity. Roles exist in architecture, property, and construction firms.
• HR professional – manages recruitment, development, and employee wellbeing. Often involved in workforce planning for large organisations.

For some technical roles such as land acquisition, surveying and planning, a relevant, accredited degree is often required. However, for exceptional candidates it is possible to gain entry without an accredited degree, with the employer sponsoring you to study an accredited master's course instead.

A genuine enthusiasm to work in the real estate industry and commercial awareness are vital. Gaining experience and building your network is key across this industry, which is generally built on relationships

If you're looking to gain experience

While some of the larger firms offer insight days and structured internship schemes, with closing dates typically around Easter or sooner, most companies expect direct or speculative applications. Where a formal internship scheme is not on offer, look for informal ways of gaining work experience. Local planning departments or smaller property firms can be a rich source of opportunities.

If you're early on in your career

For new graduates, property offers a range of professional accreditation routes and career paths. The RICS and RTPI accredited APC is the main professional development route, offering a range of different pathways. Graduate scheme deadlines are typically October to December. Specialist roles and opportunities with smaller companies are advertised all year round on an ad hoc basis.

If you have more experience

Career paths and opportunities are varied, so use LinkedIn to network with alumni working at firms you are interested in. There's a strong network within the sector, including GREG, LSE's Global Real Estate Group, which hosts events and talks for alumni.

If you're changing career

While a relevant postgraduate course may be a prerequisite for some career areas, in others you may identify a direct entry route related to relevant skills gained in another sector, for example transferring your skills from banking across to a specialist finance role in real estate.

Not sure what to do next?

We’re here to talk over your career plans with you. It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, so don’t feel you have to have it all worked out. You can book a one-to-one appointment with a careers consultant on CareerHub.

• Careers in Real Estate and Property alumni event (keep an eye on CareerHub)
• Real Estate Skills seminar (keep an eye on CareerHub)
• External: Built Environment Networking events

LSE Careers resources:

• Blog post: Consultancy careers – options and alternatives
• Podcast episode: Sounds Like Sustainability, Episode 1

External resources:

• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – useful website which includes a comprehensive career progression section.
• Urban Land Institute – global membership organisation with a cross-disciplinary focus on real estate and land use, covering housing, real estate, finance and investment, cities, development, and sustainability.
• Royal Institute of Town Planners (RTPI) – includes careers information, directory of planning consultancies, news, and events.
• The Investment Property Forum – useful news and information focusing on the UK property investment market.
• The Chartered Institute of Housing – offers a membership, has information on events, as well as blog posts and articles.
• Think tanks such as the World Resources Institute have extensive information and resources.
• UN-Habitat – works with partners to build inclusive and sustainable cities and communities.

• Targetjobs - Construction and property – offers careers advice and a useful list of graduate jobs in property, with a focus on surveying and other commercial roles.
• Property Week – events and valuations from the commercial property market covering property investment, residential and commercial. See Property Week Jobs for vacancies.
• Urban Design Jobs – a membership organisation with over 1000 members with a keen interest in the quality of life in cities, towns, and villages.
• Women in Property – works to promote women in the industry and offers news and events. Also has a careers page.
• Planner Jobs – specialist site for sectors including town planning and conservation.
• Bespoke Careers – job roles across property and construction.Company websites are a great source of sector information and a useful way of developing your commercial awareness and understanding of the sector. Examples include Deloitte’s Real Estate Predictions, KPMG’s global property survey and Knight Frank’s Global property market insight.
• Looking directly on company websites at the ‘careers’ or ‘work for us’ pages is also a good source of finding vacancies.
• Recruitment consultancies specialising in real estate include Macdonald and Company which has a global focus including offices in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the US, and Africa.

To discuss your options in this sector or chat through your plans so far, book an appointment with a careers consultant on CareerHub.