As featured in Real Estate Alert · Green Street News · May 26, 2026
A large swath of senior asset managers are itching to switch employers amid market conditions that are keeping their expertise in high demand, according to RETS Associates.
In a survey of asset-management professionals, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based executive search firm found that 45% of seasoned pros — those with five years or more of experience — would consider a new job. By comparison, just 26% of their junior counterparts reported the same.
That presents a critical retention challenge at a time when investors remain focused on managing existing holdings.
“The bottom line in 2026: The asset manager is still incredibly important at the vast majority of real estate companies given that deal volume continues to be off.”
— Kent Elliott, Principal, RETS Associates
Demand for asset-management talent picked up after spiking borrowing costs tempered sales volume in 2023 — a typical trend line in a down market. And the need for such specialists has climbed back slowly. Asset managers remain aware of the importance of their roles: 63% of respondents said asset management had become a higher priority for their employers in 2026, versus 73% when RETS first offered the survey in 2023.
Yet against that backdrop, most real estate firms have grappled with flat compensation pools over the last few years — a potential reason more senior managers might be interested in moving.
“If somebody has generally been with a company for a longer period of time, it’s probably less likely that their compensation has been brought up through market conditions. Loyalty and compensation haven’t necessarily caught up to one another.”
— Kent Elliott
Respondents ranked compensation as the leading driver of a job change, followed by opportunities for advancement or higher titles, better workplace culture, improved work-life balance, and broadening of responsibilities.
Compensation, mobility, and where people work
- Pay climbs steeply with seniority. Mean total compensation (salary + bonus) runs from $153,000 for asset managers with under five years of experience to $534,000 for Managing Directors and Heads of Asset Management with 20+ years.
- New York commanded a 41% premium in total compensation compared with other markets.
- Hybrid is the norm. 65% of respondents work partially remote, only 33% are in the office five days a week, and 12% are fully remote.
The 2026 RETS Asset Management Survey encompasses responses from 255 participants working at investment firms, larger investment managers, public REITs, and operators of properties.
