Real Estate Research Analyst

Position Overview

The Real Estate Research Associate will play a critical role in expanding our retail portfolio by sourcing and identifying new acquisition opportunities. This is a hands-on research role focused on finding sites, digging into markets, tracking down leads, and building a pipeline of potential retail locations that meet the company's criteria. The ideal candidate is resourceful, detail-oriented, and energized by the hunt for the next great site.

About BEK Developers

BEK Developers is an active commercial real estate developer and owner/operator with a portfolio of approximately 40 assets. The firm is shifting its focus toward ground-up retail and mixed-use development, and this role represents one of the first hires in building out that capability offering the right candidate a rare opportunity to help shape the platform from the ground up.

The company offers a more hands-on, collaborative environment compared to larger, more siloed firms - providing team members with broad exposure and the opportunity to directly impact growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Site Identification: Proactively source potential retail acquisition targets through online research, broker outreach, market canvassing, and real estate databases. Cast a wide net and maintain an active, organized pipeline of prospects.
• Market Research: Research markets, trade areas, demographics, traffic patterns, and retail trends to assess where opportunities exist and where the company should be looking next.
• Lead Tracking & Reporting: Maintain organized records of sites identified, outreach activity, and research findings. Provide regular updates to the team on pipeline status and new leads.
• Broker & Vendor Outreach: Develop and maintain relationships with brokers, landlords, and other market contacts to uncover off-market and early-stage opportunities.
• Presentation Support: Compile research findings into clear summaries and snapshots for the team to review, not heavy financial analysis, but clean, organized information that helps the team make informed decisions quickly.
• Due Diligence Support: Assist as needed with gathering basic property and market information during the evaluation process.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 2–4 years of experience in commercial real estate, retail real estate, or a research-intensive role
• Strong research skills, knows how to find information, connect dots, and dig deeper when needed
• Familiarity with real estate data platforms such as CoStar, Placer.ai, or similar tools
• Proficiency with AI tools and platforms, comfortable using AI-powered research tools, large language models, and emerging technologies to accelerate site identification, market research, and data gathering
• Highly organized with the ability to track and manage a large volume of leads and data
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently with minimal direction

Why This Role

• Direct impact on the firm’s growth and development pipeline
• High visibility with leadership and opportunity to influence strategy
• Exposure to multiple aspects of the real estate lifecycle
• Opportunity to gain experience within an entrepreneurial, expanding platform
• Collaborative environment with meaningful responsibility from day one.