Project Destined Provides Trusted Source of Robust REIT Talent

Bobo says that the key to the program’s success is providing specialized training that goes far beyond real estate fundamentals.

“By asking our partners about their challenges and creating responsive, targeted educational programs, Project Destined ensures it’s providing precisely the talent pipeline companies need,” Bobo explains.

In 2024 alone, Bobo built 100 customized programs around a sponsor, a series of speakers, and on-site opportunities. He says Project Destined partners want students that are trained with applicable skill sets that will help future proof their businesses and workforces.

That’s exactly what the partnership between Project Destined and Nareit does.

The Nareit grant is helping Project Destined expand its REIT Bridge Program, so that it can provide more students with direct exposure to the REIT industry. The program includes a six-week speaker series, site visits, and a multi-week course focused on REIT analysis and research—all of which are designed to align with each REIT sector’s specific hiring needs. The goal of the project is twofold: to show students that the REIT industry offers accessible opportunities and career paths for professionals from all backgrounds while also directly connecting REITs with future employees and leaders who have the knowledge, skills, and creativity that REITs need to compete in today’s CRE landscape.

“Project Destined continues to deliver on what our members need most: a reliable pipeline of enthusiastic and ambitious high-potential talent who want to both work in the industry today and shape it for tomorrow,” says Ayris T. Scales, senior vice president of social responsibility and global initiatives at Nareit. “The combination of Bobo’s rigorous program, adaptable model, and specialized training support Nareit’s efforts to raise awareness of REITs and increase young professionals access to REIT careers. Helping members create robust pipelines also meets a critical long-term need: strengthening succession planning across the industry.”

Nareit Brings Important Relationships

Nareit is valuable because it brings together a range of REITs across different sectors, Bobo points out.

“It lets us bring students to meet the REITs, and it also lets us hear what the REITs need in terms of hiring. Then we create new programs,” he explains. “That’s the beauty. We get tremendous insight through Nareit and its partners, and we can grow and build more specialized programs and provide skill sets relevant to their businesses, which expands their talent pipelines.”

Project Destined adapts its programs by directly engaging with corporate HR leaders to understand their specific hiring challenges. Bobo and his team speak with them frequently. The organization then builds tailored courses around the specific talent requirements of the various REIT sectors.

The REIT industry has 13 different sectors,” Scales says. “For Cedric to adapt what he’s doing to meet the individual needs and challenges is impressive because each sector is different. Office REITs are responding to different dynamics than retail or data centers, which in turn are dealing with different dynamics than self-storage or gaming….I love that he’s able to be responsive in that way.”

For example, when Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) provided insight related to the industry’s need for data center operations talent. Bobo is now developing a data center operations course targeting military veterans. When AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE: AVB) highlighted the sector’s need for construction management professionals, Bobo created a specialized construction management program.

In another situation, Bobo developed a net lease investing class after learning about the specific needs in that area from VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE: VICI), an entertainment and experiential real estate REIT.