Career Advice: Startup CRE Underwriting Role — Comp Structure Fair?

[Shaya Lieberman]

Hi all,

I’ve been offered a role as the first hire at a new real estate investment group started by two partners. They’ve raised capital and want to scale into acquisitions, and I’d essentially be building things out with them from the ground up.

The offer on the table is:

- Base Salary: $60K

- Bonus: $10K flat per closed deal

My background is limited to a few real estate internships, so they’d be putting a lot of faith in my growth and development here. The upside is clear - I’d get significant exposure, work directly with the partners, and be part of something from the start. The downside is also clear - more risk, less structure, and less formal training.

I’m considering proposing a blended performance bonus instead of just the flat $10K. Something like:

- A percentage of the acquisition fee at closing (so my bonus scales with deal size), plus

- An additional kicker tied to reposition/value-add success when targets are achieved.

That way, my incentives are directly aligned with both getting deals closed and making sure they perform over the long term.

My questions for the group:

1. Is $60K + $10K per deal reasonable for an entry-level hire in this kind of setup?

2. Does this blended incentive idea seem fair/reasonable given my limited experience, or would you just take the flat deal bonus to get started?

3. For those who’ve been early hires at startups like this, what pitfalls should I be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any advice - trying to weigh upside vs. risk carefully.