Land Acquisition Specialist
The Land Acquisition Specialist at Confidential Client supports the identification and evaluation of residential land opportunities in Chicago's western and southern suburbs. This early-career role involves conducting market research, property evaluation, due diligence coordination, and assisting with acquisition documentation while collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders. The position offers growth potential through hands-on experience in residential land acquisition within a family-owned homebuilder environment.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Property.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
About the Role
Confidential Client is hiring a Land Acquisition Specialist to support identification and evaluation of residential land opportunities across Chicago's western and southern suburbs. This is a hybrid, full-time, early-career role based in Burr Ridge, IL. You will work with leadership and experienced professionals to build practical skills in market research, property evaluation, due diligence, and transaction support.
What You’ll Do
- Research potential residential land opportunities and emerging development areas.
- Maintain and update the land acquisition pipeline.
- Research property ownership, zoning, land use, market conditions, and development constraints.
- Assist with preliminary financial analysis, budgets, and acquisition evaluations.
- Help coordinate due diligence activities (title, environmental, zoning, surveys, utilities, reports).
- Support communication with landowners, brokers, municipalities, consultants, and other contacts.
- Assist with letters of intent, purchase agreements, and other transaction documents.
- Track acquisition activities, deadlines, and next steps.
- Prepare research summaries and recommendations for leadership.
- Visit prospective properties and attend meetings throughout the Chicago suburbs.
- Collaborate with development, construction, finance, legal, and outside consultants as opportunities progress.
What Success Looks Like
Success means becoming a reliable member of the land acquisition team and steadily taking on more responsibility. In the first year you should:
- Learn and apply Confidential Client’s land acquisition criteria.
- Keep accurate, organized research and pipeline records.
- Identify and summarize relevant land opportunities.
- Build practical knowledge of zoning, entitlements, due diligence, and residential development.
- Build relationships with brokers, landowners, municipalities, and consultants.
- Deliver timely, accurate analysis and follow-up.
- Demonstrate increasing independence in project work.
What You’ll Bring
- 0–3 years of experience in real estate, land development, finance, construction, urban planning, or a related field.
- Strong interest in residential real estate and land development.
- Strong research, analytical, and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and follow through on details.
- Willingness to learn and develop within the role.
- Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business, Engineering, Construction Management, Urban Planning, or related field preferred.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel locally as needed.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base salary: $65,000–$85,000 per year.
- Health insurance.
- 401(k).
- Additional benefits and eligibility details to be discussed during the hiring process.
Why Join
- Join a well-established, family-owned homebuilder environment (Confidential Client) with an emphasis on hands-on learning.
- Learn directly from experienced professionals and company leadership.
- Build a long-term career path in land acquisition and residential development.
- Gain exposure to the acquisition process from initial research through closing.
- Contribute to the growth of a respected Chicago-area homebuilder.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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