I will start off by disclaiming that I cannot take credit for the idea behind this post.  I recently read and responded to a post initiated by @Adam Zach surveying all members wanting to see who in the real estate investing world came from an engineering background.  I posted a reply mentioning that the ironic thing about this topic was that the group of people who should know THE MOST about real estate (minus the investing part) were architects!  And then went on to say that it was likely because of an architect’s (low) income versus an engineer’s which prevents architects from investing.  But then I gave it more thought, and what’s even more ironic is that...most architects are so preoccupied with their craft that they fail to see the what their clients are doing right under their noses...Developing buildings to make money!  I know there’s at least a couple of us out there...let’s represent!

Hi @Jason H. former architect in training here. Yep - that's right... in training. I got my BS Arch as well as my M.Arch at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston back in 2016. Bought a 4 unit building in CT later that year, and then it went downhill from there. Started to dread my job and made a plan to get out. I lasted 18 months in the industry and then pushed "pause". Maybe one day I will return, but for now I am staying busy by running a property management firm. I use my architecture & design background to suggest improvements during property renovations and walkthroughs.

And yes, pay isn't great. With 2 degrees and 5 years of schooling, I was making 45K as an entry level architect. Don't miss that part one bit...

I know there's another fella (out west, I believe) that also got his degree from WIT and is still an architect. Hopefully he chimes in. 

@Filipe Pereira . I don’t think many people have used the term “former architect” and “regret” in the same sentence.  Haha.  But the low turnout on this really has proven my point.  I think they’re all too busy drawing toilet details while sheltering-in-place!

Hey @Jason H. , thanks for the notice to jump in on this!

I completed my 5-Year Bachelors of Architecture from IIT in 2013 and was pursuing a Double Major in Structural Engineering. After I graduated with my 5-Year Bachelors I started working full-time for a Residential firm downtown where pretty much 100% of the clients were Developers. I think that is when I started to realize that these developers were making a Killing with the projects they were doing, and the Architect I was working for was also doing quite well for himself by catering to them and providing efficient designs, fast turnaround, and an extremely detailed understanding of what is required by the City of Chicago in order to obtain building permits. Our office managed to do about 300 projects per year with about 5 drafters, 1 designer, a permit expediter, and the owner.

I started the Masters degree in Structural Engineering, but realized it didn't make sense for me to be working my *** off to obtain my License as an Architect to then have to go and work for years as an Associate Structural Engineer in order to obtain that license as well. I took a couple-year break from my studies while I worked and took my ARE Exams while completing my IDP Hours (5,600 hours required at the time). I then decided to go back and get my Master's in Construction Engineering and Management from IIT as it would only take me the equivalent of 1 extra year to get the degree. All tho it took longer because I was going back part-time.

After I got my Architecture license I changed jobs as I didn't see much potential for growth and worked for a short while for a Design+Build firm, and then for a commercial design firm. I loved the Idea of Design+Build but I didn't mesh well with the owner and parted ways pretty quickly. While working with the Design firm I decided to start my own Architecture Firm. This presented me with a unique opportunity to work full-time for the design firm, while also picking up my own side projects as well.

I have now found a similar set-up working full time for a Design+Build residential remodeling company who does about 100 projects per year and within about a 50 mile radius of Chicago. They have me Managing their Architecture and Interior Design departments. With this company I have learned a lot about the efficiencies of remodeling and how to spot concerns before jumping into a project. They are not a developer, and instead cater specifically to homeowners, but understanding these things ahead of time can save our clients money as well as the company headaches of having to pay for things that were not in scope and only having to charge extra for things that were truly unforeseen. This has also helped me gain a lot of knowledge about different building departments, how they interpret and enforce codes, and the specific things they want to see on their drawings in order to expedite permit approval. 

I am now Self-Certified in the City of Chicago, NCARB Certified which allows me to pursue expedited licensure in any other state, Actively Licensed in Illinois, Indiana, and Texas, and have extensive knowledge of many building departments throughout Chicagoland. With that I have learned that I had a unique skill set that can greatly aid local developers. I am working with a handful of contractors and developers on the side and always looking for more opportunities to grow my business, but I realized that there's no reason to stop there. I decided I definitely wanted to get into real estate investing myself.

And here I am now, looking to gain knowledge from the members of this forum, and connect with others who have similar desires. My only current investment is the Condo in which I currently live in Chicago, but it has been building equity since I moved in about 5 years ago with my wife. We have been focused on paying off debt over the past few years and I am now feeling closer than ever to begin my journey into real estate investment.

Originally posted by @Jason H. :

@Filipe Pereira . I don’t think many people have used the term “former architect” and “regret” in the same sentence.  Haha.  But the low turnout on this really has proven my point.  I think they’re all too busy drawing toilet details while sheltering-in-place!

 Hopefully not, I've heard horror stories from friends who worked for large firms and I knew I was fortunate for not having to draw things like that for years of my life. Also, keep in mind, in comparison with the "How Many RE Investors are Engineers" thread, there are a hell of a lot more different types of Engineers Vs. Architects. 

When it comes to Architects I have always felt like there are 2 different types, the ones with an Engineering mindset, focused on solving problems, figuring out details, and making things work; and the ones with the Artist mindset, who focus on creating beautiful designs and buildings that can become monumental, historical works. The best Architects have some of both categories, but many tend to fall more so to one side than the other. I'm definitely more on the Engineering side, and also have a passion for Business. I think we will see many of the Architects on this forum come from a similar mindset, but I'm definitely interested to hear from more!

@Jason H.

I’m currently an architectural designer.

I got interested in Real Estate after I realized I can’t make as much as I want o make an as architect.

There’s this understanding ( the architecture profession is for affluent ppl) as an immigrant, I actually need to make money to survive and to send back home in forms of gifts as well in the form of leading development in my home villages.

The goal is to Brr until I can replace my income,

Once my income is replaced I can then quit my job and design the projects I actually want to design. Which is institutional infrastructure/ buildings that will further my ppl... I

Comunity centers, schools, water wells, energy farms.... it might be a bit too ambitious, but even if I just accomplish portion of my goals, it’ll still be a victory.

SO, in the end, THE COMBO OF REAL ESTATE AND BUILDING DESIGN AND PLACE MAKING IS JUST WHAT I NEED.

@Samuel Pavlovcik

To be fair the low outcome for the call for “architects” compared to the call for “engineers” could also be because “engineer” is a much more broad term... everyone from data architects to civil engineers was on that other post.

Thought I do recognize that like most creative fields, architects don’t think much about money, and most of us are not in it for the money... vying to save money and just designing for the most income producing properties is not really as sexy as a working for a START-Architectural firm for a fraction of our worth compared to other professionals in the field of design and building.

Originally posted by @Maimouna Sow :

@Jason H.

I’m currently an architectural designer.

I got interested in Real Estate after I realized I can’t make as much as I want o make an as architect.

There’s this understanding ( the architecture profession is for affluent ppl) as an immigrant, I actually need to make money to survive and to send back home in forms of gifts as well in the form of leading development in my home villages.

The goal is to Brr until I can replace my income,

Once my income is replaced I can then quit my job and design the projects I actually want to design. Which is institutional infrastructure/ buildings that will further my ppl... I

Comunity centers, schools, water wells, energy farms.... it might be a bit too ambitious, but even if I just accomplish portion of my goals, it’ll still be a victory.

SO, in the end, THE COMBO OF REAL ESTATE AND BUILDING DESIGN AND PLACE MAKING IS JUST WHAT I NEED.

Totally agreed.  If you walk into any of the boutique starchitects offices, they are often staffed with young designers that come from families that aren't "starving" by any means.  But it works somehow, the pay is notoriously low in those firms, and yet there are people knocking on the door wanting to work there accepting low pay for a chance to work with a celebrity.  The corporate firms are where you start to see less of that and more professionals earning a decent salary through a gradual career trajectory.  However, glad to see another architect who jumped out from the tunnel vision that so many of us fall in...there's definitely a balance worth striving for.

I’m 42 and a recovering architect. Although I remain licensed, I changed my registration to “inactive”.

I was a partner in a small firm when I started flipping houses. I found it to be more satisfying and financially rewarding than working as an architect. As I developed other business interests, and continued real estate investing, I just didn’t have enough hours in the day to do it all and had to make the hard decision to give up practicing architecture. It was a hard decision because I had probably one of the better experiences as an architect. I worked with wonderful people and had my own projects. We designed a variety of buildings and it was often enjoyable.

Reflecting back, it’s a tremendous effort to become an architect. I’m not sure that those outside of the profession comprehend what it takes. 6 years of school. 4 years of internship. A year of preparing for and taking numerous exams. When making the decision to leave, it was hard to think about all the effort that I put in for so many years to get there. That experience will always be with me.

@Jason H.

Exactly.

Though to be clear my family isn’t “STARVING”

I meant as an immigrant there are certain things expected of you, and one of those things is to actually make money when u come to America. It’s not enough just to have a cool job. U gotta be able to come home with something to show for.