Expanding Into Development & Project Management — Seeking Insight From Operators

[Cj Seitz]

I’m a Realtor in the Tampa Bay market and have recently been expanding my focus into development and project management. 

Prior to becoming an agent, I was involved in Airbnb arbitrage and co-hosting, which gave me hands-on experience managing properties, coordinating vendors, overseeing turnovers, and optimizing performance. Though once I became licensed, my role naturally shifted more toward sales, client representation, and market analysis. While that experience has been incredibly valuable, lately my interest in the operational and development side of real estate is where I thrive and want to get back into. 

I’ve been studying some new construction and redevelopment projects what's going in in the area and I'm interested, for those currently managing development projects, what were the most valuable early experiences that helped you grow into that role? 

Ultimately, my goal is to build relationships with developers and experienced project managers, contribute where I can, and continue learning the operational side of bringing projects to life.

[Ryan Stomel]

Good framework from Don. The credential path and the hands-on path aren't mutually exclusive — and for someone already active in Tampa's market, the Realtor role is actually a shortcut into the experience track that most people don't have.

Brokers see the underside of deals: why a site works or doesn't, what developers are looking for when they're acquiring, how deals fall apart in due diligence. That's real development education even if it doesn't feel like it.

If I were in Cj's position, I'd probably start with CCIM CI 101 as a first step — it's the most directly applicable for understanding how commercial deals get structured — while simultaneously using the Realtor network to get in front of whoever's doing ground-up in Tampa right now. The credential opens doors with institutional players. The relationships get you in the room before the credential does.