What Do Developers Do?

Developers can be individuals, small partnerships, or large companies. Some operate in a single market, such as Houston or Atlanta, while others focus on a larger region, such as the northeastern United States, or even on the entire country. A few U.S. developers operate globally. Some developers maintain a small staff and outsource many development functions, while others employ a large number of professionals and perform most development functions in-house.

Deciding What to Build and Financial Feasibility

After deciding where they might want to build, developers decide what they might want to build, and whether to go ahead with the project.

How Developers Get Started

Developers start with the land on which they will build. To decide where to acquire land in a market, they first conduct a market study.

Product Sectors

Developers engage in either for-sale residential development or commercial development, which includes income-producing rental apartments. The “Real Estate Developers and Product” chart shows the major products of residential and commercial developers, and the following sections provide further details.

For-Sale Residential Development

Mixed Use

Multifamily Rental Development Product

Multifamily Rental

Hotel Development Product

Hotel

Industrial Development Product

Office Development Product

Office

Retail Development Product

Real Estate Developers and Product

Retail

Commercial Development

You might also be interested in...

Jennifer Stolzenburg

“I have found a job that suits me, even if it means going outside the social norm,” said Jennifer Stolzenburg, a fourth-year electrical apprentice and female leader in construction. Watch her story.

Pivoting: An Oral History

How did the apartment industry pivot to meet the ever-changing challenges of a global pandemic? What can we expect for the future of property management?

ASLA’s 2021 Student Award Winners

Check out ASLA’s 2021 Student Award Winners. The winning projects exemplify the highest level of achievement in the profession.

Johnnie Sanchez

Johnnie Sanchez, a graduate of ABC’s New Mexico plumbing program, overcame a stint in prison and choose a career in construction as an instructor developing future craft professionals. Listen to his story.

ABC Student Chapters

Interested in a career in construction? Joining an ABC National Student Chapter can help shape you into a future leader of the construction industry.

This is Landscape Architecture

What is landscape architecture? It’s parks, campuses, memorials, reuse, residential design, urban revitalization and so much more.