Definition of "Real estate developer"

Tia Ware real estate agent

Written by

Tia Wareelite badge icon

Southern Homes of the Carolinas

A developer is a person that designs or creates something that could be a concept, structure, product or service. An idea can be turned into something real, tangible and the person that does that is called a developer. The process followed by a person in order to create something can be called “development process” and the person is the developer.

As an example, a developer can be an individual that builds software. You might also find them under specific names such as programmers or software developers more. Web developers deal with web design and web development tasks. Content developers are usually individuals that create content fit to be published in a magazine or uploaded on a website.

Developers in real estate

Real estate development is the act of buying land, creating new buildings and selling the property for a profit. The person that coordinates the process is called a real estate developer. A real estate developer coordinates the whole process from the beginning to the end. From the initial project faze up until a building is created, the whole development process is imagined, initiated, orchestrated, and controlled by the real estate developer.

There is a whole process associated with creating a new building: deciding where to put it, borrowing money for the project, buying land, receiving permission for the building, design, build, finding buyers or tenants to occupy it and manage it. While there are many different counterparts that specialize in each individual step the real estate developers coordinate the whole process. Architects, city planners, inspectors, engineers, contractors, lawyers, surveyors, leasing agents are all coordinated by a real estate developer.

Developers in real estate are also risk-takers that invest a considerable amount of money in an attempt to gain a profit if the building is a success. In order for it to succeed, the real estate developer would have to rent out the building/facility or sell for a profit. This ultimately makes the real estate developer the person in charge, a risk manager, a person engaged in a business that can lead to high returns, but it can also cause severe losses.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

New cost less accumulated depreciation to date. ...

Entrance or path to a land parcel. Passageway existing from property. An egress may lead to a roadway or some other form of exit. ...

Articles of personal property installed by a tenant under the terms of a lease for purposes of use in his or her trade or business, Trade fixtures are removable by the tenant before the ...

Favorable occurrence providing a good chance for success, usually in financial terms. ...

The imposition or collection, usually by legal or governmental authority, of an assessment of a specified amount. An example is a tax assessment on real estate. ...

Financial institution that channels the savings of its depositors mostly into mortgage and home improvement loans. It concentrates on originating , servicing, and holding mortgage loans. ...

Period of time between valuations of property for tax purposes in a given locality. ...

Fee payable because of late payment. For example, a mortgagor is assessed a $30 late charge by the bank for not paying the mortgage payment when due. ...

Potential customer or client in which there is a realistic chance of making the sale for the product or service. An example is a prospective purchaser of real estate that the real estate ...

Popular Real Estate Questions