Brasso Belts
I had an opportunity this past weekend to visit Syracuse, NY (in a snowstorm I might add) to visit my youngest son who is staking his claim with the national real estate firm Brookline Development, a classic entrepreneurial company that is in the center of reinvigorating Downtown Syracuse in the heart of Upstate New York's "rust belt." Well, Brookline, and a host of other developers, are taking risks in a challenging market, and are managing to create very special urban spaces and places. I was a rust belt skeptic on arrival, but a believer on departure. "Urban renewal" almost ruined Syracuse in the 40's and 50's by redirecting the Erie Canal that ran through downtown Syracuse and destroyed what would have been a catalyst for an incredible renaissance. Investors today are focused on "core" markets, yet secondary cities, carefully selected, provide interesting investment opportunities. For young professionals who are yearning for an entrepreneurial challenge, look to development firms in secondary and emerging cities that are making tracks otherwise not available.

Tony LoPinto is the Global Sector Leader of Korn/Ferry International's Real Estate Practice and founder of SelectLeaders. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

JONES LANG LASALLE
Senior Project Manager-Healthcare/PDS
(WASHINGTON, DC) The manager will lead the team of architects, contractors and client stakeholders and establish project execution strategy to successfully complete project, among other duties.

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST
Assistant Property Controller
(WOODLAND HILLS, CA) The controller will oversee the day-to-day accounting of the company's 160-plus apartment communities and fixed assets and is responsible for overseeing monthly property closes including preparation of monthly financial statements to senior management.

CW FINANCIAL SERVICES
Analyst – Real Estate Capital Markets
(DALLAS) The real estate analyst position supports an established Dallas broker. The responsibilities include valuation underwriting, investor interaction, database management, waterfall modeling, assisting with preparation of sale proposals, and overseeing offering memoranda preparation.

FOREST CITY
General Manager
(YONKERS) The position supervises and coordinates the daily operations of a high complexity apartment community, multiple apartment communities (large number of units), and/or mixed-use community (i.e. retail, parking, office) including, but not limited to, the general administration, managing, leasing and occupancy, establishing rents, maintenance of the property and management of all property associates.

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST
Investment Analyst
(EL SEGUNDO, CA) The position is responsible for financial analysis of prospective acquisitions and dispositions, as well as preparation of committee books for proposed transactions maintains investment database.

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES
Energy Manager
(ARLINGTON, VA) Responsibilities include reviewing electric, gas, water, sewer common area and vacant financial variances; establishing a monthly audit sample based on guidelines and determining the cause of the financial variance by drilling down the detailed usage, unit cost and vacant homes variance reports.

TIAA-CREFF
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VERITAS INVESTMENTS
Controller
(SAN FRANCISCO) In this key role, the controller will be a key member of the firm's finance and accounting team responsible for the following areas: directing and overseeing property management accounting operation and investment accounting operations.

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