Nelson: I was in graduate school in search of a career that gave me the opportunity to work in a high-energy, competitive environment that combined my strengths in strategy and finance with a role that allowed me to build relationships with people. I wanted to work in an industry with tangible assets and on projects that allowed me to bet on the team I was working with and where the reward was worth the risk.

At this time, I had the opportunity to introduce a guest speaker who was a commercial real estate developer. Based on my research leading up to the presentation, I knew that development was exactly what I wanted to do.

Through a couple of relationships and a few people taking a chance on me, I was able to intern with Novare Group. It was a time of great growth for the company, and I was incredibly fortunate to be exposed to all aspects of the development cycle. Looking back, the kind of work and amount of work that we were involved in gave me a learning experience for which I am truly grateful.

GlobeSt.com: What have been some of the key turning points in your career?

Nelson: Commercial real estate is very much a relationship-based industry, and relationships have marked each turning point in my career. At each step along the way, I have had someone who has taken a chance on me, someone willing to teach me and ultimately someone who has mentored me.

Carter is an organization that deeply values relationships, and this is modeled each and every day by the owners of our company. The time and energy they have invested into our people has resulted in a strong, passionate team that enjoys working with one another. I am where I am in this industry, and in some cases as a husband and father, because of the continued mentorship that they provide.

GlobeSt.com: What was the biggest challenge you've had to navigate in the commercial real estate industry?

Nelson: As a young associate, I was working in a way that I thought best to execute the strategy developed by the company's senior leaders. As we drew closer to the Great Recession, I found myself in the first round of layoffs. I came to work one day with a certain perception about myself and my worth, only to find myself later that same day with no job, no computer, no phone and questioning my very worth.

This “setback” turned out to be one of the greatest challenges and experiences that I have ever had. What I learned about myself was immeasurable. What I learned about valuing the big-picture strategy and not just execution has been a great benefit to my career.

But, what I learned about what it means to work, what it takes to make yourself irreplaceable is something that has transformed my approach. Real estate is going to continue to have cycles, but I learned a lesson early on in my career that will I will carry with me through each high and each low.

ATLANTA—David Nelson combines technical engineering and business skills to deliver commercial real estate solutions to his clients at Carter. He serves as senior vice president of the firm's development team, leading efforts for off-campus private student housing projects.

Nelson's has experience managing almost $1 billion worth of complex project portfolios balancing their various risks, exposures and opportunities to maximize value. During his time at Carter, he has worked on student housing projects totaling nearly 3,500 beds valued at approximately $255 million.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Nelson to discuss his journey in the industry. Maybe you can relate to his biggest challenge.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get your start in commercial real estate?

Nelson: I was in graduate school in search of a career that gave me the opportunity to work in a high-energy, competitive environment that combined my strengths in strategy and finance with a role that allowed me to build relationships with people. I wanted to work in an industry with tangible assets and on projects that allowed me to bet on the team I was working with and where the reward was worth the risk.

At this time, I had the opportunity to introduce a guest speaker who was a commercial real estate developer. Based on my research leading up to the presentation, I knew that development was exactly what I wanted to do.

Through a couple of relationships and a few people taking a chance on me, I was able to intern with Novare Group. It was a time of great growth for the company, and I was incredibly fortunate to be exposed to all aspects of the development cycle. Looking back, the kind of work and amount of work that we were involved in gave me a learning experience for which I am truly grateful.

GlobeSt.com: What have been some of the key turning points in your career?

Nelson: Commercial real estate is very much a relationship-based industry, and relationships have marked each turning point in my career. At each step along the way, I have had someone who has taken a chance on me, someone willing to teach me and ultimately someone who has mentored me.

Carter is an organization that deeply values relationships, and this is modeled each and every day by the owners of our company. The time and energy they have invested into our people has resulted in a strong, passionate team that enjoys working with one another. I am where I am in this industry, and in some cases as a husband and father, because of the continued mentorship that they provide.

GlobeSt.com: What was the biggest challenge you've had to navigate in the commercial real estate industry?

Nelson: As a young associate, I was working in a way that I thought best to execute the strategy developed by the company's senior leaders. As we drew closer to the Great Recession, I found myself in the first round of layoffs. I came to work one day with a certain perception about myself and my worth, only to find myself later that same day with no job, no computer, no phone and questioning my very worth.

This “setback” turned out to be one of the greatest challenges and experiences that I have ever had. What I learned about myself was immeasurable. What I learned about valuing the big-picture strategy and not just execution has been a great benefit to my career.

But, what I learned about what it means to work, what it takes to make yourself irreplaceable is something that has transformed my approach. Real estate is going to continue to have cycles, but I learned a lesson early on in my career that will I will carry with me through each high and each low.