What are the responsibilities and job description for the Real Estate Associate position at Howard Hughes Communities?
Dedicated to innovative placemaking, Howard Hughes Communities is the real estate platform of Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HHH) and is recognized for its ongoing commitment to design excellence and to the cultural life of its communities. Building on that foundation, we foster a culture of curiosity that empowers every employee to shape their own story within our organization.
About The Role
We are seeking a highly analytical Real Estate Associate to support asset management and portfolio oversight. This role provides analytical oversight and implementation of strategies and initiatives across the portfolio. The position also requires evaluating market/submarket data and is responsible for evaluating property performance, and developing, communicating, and executing property-level investment plans and strategies
What You Will Do
At Howard Hughes Communities, we offer competitive, market-based compensation that rewards performance and supports career growth. Our comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees at every stage of their career, is focused on holistic wellness—social, emotional, financial, and physical.
Howard Hughes Communities develops, owns, and operates the nation’s premier large-scale master planned communities and mixed-use developments. Our award-winning portfolio includes The Woodlands®, Bridgeland®, and The Woodlands Hills® in Greater Houston; Summerlin® in Las Vegas; Teravalis™ in Greater Phoenix; Ward Village® in Honolulu; and Merriweather District® in Columbia, Maryland. Strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, we offer one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Learn more at communities.howardhughes.com .
NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES
Please note that Howard Hughes Communities does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, Howard Hughes Communities will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, Howard Hughes Communities explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Howard Hughes Communities.
About The Role
We are seeking a highly analytical Real Estate Associate to support asset management and portfolio oversight. This role provides analytical oversight and implementation of strategies and initiatives across the portfolio. The position also requires evaluating market/submarket data and is responsible for evaluating property performance, and developing, communicating, and executing property-level investment plans and strategies
What You Will Do
- Collect, understand, and analyze market data and identify risks, trends, and opportunities for value creation. Review industry standards, surveys, benchmarks, and economic trends.
- Validate asset-level rent performance against submarket comps to determine whether underperformance is property-specific or market-driven; prepare written diagnosis and recommended response.
- Provide ongoing review and analysis of financial and operating reports to monitor performance. Flag material variances to drive timely resolution with third-party managers. Provide analysis that identifies trends and evaluates performance to guide strategic decisions.
- Prepare NOI forecasts, cash flow projections, and variance analyses; reconcile actual results versus budget on a monthly and quarterly basis.
- Identify variance drivers between actual and budgeted KPIs and prepare written commentary for leadership and investor reporting.
- Track and analyze physical and economic occupancy and flag underperformance trends and recommend corrective actions.
- Evaluate revenue management system outputs and pricing recommendations; partner with property managers to optimize rent strategy during lease-up and stabilized operations.
- Prepare weekly leasing dashboards and monthly revenue reports for senior management and investor reporting packages.
- Monitor key performance indicators including physical occupancy, economic occupancy, effective rent per unit, NOI margin, operating expense ratio, DSCR, debt yield, leasing velocity, resident retention rate, collections, and delinquency.
- Identify opportunities for value creation through operational efficiencies, capital improvements, or other best practice ideas.
- Valuate management effectiveness across leasing, marketing, maintenance, collections, and resident experience.
- Participate in the preparation, review and communication of the annual budget and quarterly forecasting process and variance review.
- Oversee and monitor capital projects. Review expenses to ensure they are within budget and properly approved.
- Help ensure consistency, accuracy, and timeliness across all required reporting deliverables.
- Participate in the acquisition, due diligence, capital improvement, and underwriting processes.
- Partner and coordinate closely with internal teams across development, marketing, accounting, and capital markets.
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Accounting, or a related field.
- 2–5 years of experience in real estate private equity, asset management, or a similar analytical role.
- Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, including experience with cash flow modeling and scenario analysis.
- Strong understanding of real estate operating statements and core performance metrics such as NOI, cap rate, IRR, DSCR, occupancy, concessions, and loss-to-lease.
- Demonstrated ability to perform detailed submarket research and comp analysis using institutional data platforms.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present data-driven conclusions clearly and concisely. Preferred
- Familiarity with Yardi, MRI, Entrata, Argus, CoStar, RealPage, or similar systems.
- Experience working with third-party property managers and revenue management tools.
- Exposure to budgeting, forecasting, investor reporting, and capex oversight.
- Curiosity about artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, with a strong desire to continuously learn and apply new tools to work more efficiently.
At Howard Hughes Communities, we offer competitive, market-based compensation that rewards performance and supports career growth. Our comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees at every stage of their career, is focused on holistic wellness—social, emotional, financial, and physical.
- Competitive 401k plan
- Generous PTO policy
- Premium medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Voluntary benefits for unexpected life events
- Student loan assistance and stipends to assist with lifelong learning
Howard Hughes Communities develops, owns, and operates the nation’s premier large-scale master planned communities and mixed-use developments. Our award-winning portfolio includes The Woodlands®, Bridgeland®, and The Woodlands Hills® in Greater Houston; Summerlin® in Las Vegas; Teravalis™ in Greater Phoenix; Ward Village® in Honolulu; and Merriweather District® in Columbia, Maryland. Strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, we offer one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Learn more at communities.howardhughes.com .
NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES
Please note that Howard Hughes Communities does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Fee Agreement, Howard Hughes Communities will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, Howard Hughes Communities explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Howard Hughes Communities.