Analyst or Associate, Investments

About Hackberry Lane

Hackberry Lane is a vertically integrated student housing owner-operator with approximately 4,000 beds and over $600M in real estate assets nationwide. The company acquires, renovates, and operates housing within walking distance of major university campuses.

The Opportunity

Hackberry Lane is seeking a sharp, driven Investments Analyst and/or Associate to work on both acquisitions and asset management. This role offers direct work with the executive team, handling deals from initial review through closing and subsequent business plan execution. The position is suited for individuals who thrive in an entrepreneurial setting.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisitions

• Research markets to identify investment opportunities based on enrollment trends, supply pipelines, rent growth, and student migration patterns.
• Source on-market and off-market opportunities.
• Assist in or lead underwriting, building, auditing, and refining detailed financial models at the property and portfolio levels.
• Analyze assumptions, downside scenarios, and capital structures to inform investment decisions.
• Draft screening memos and investment memoranda.
• Support live deals from Letter of Intent (LOI) through closing, including coordinating diligence, managing third-party reports, and preparing closing prorations.
• Build and maintain broker relationships and manage the deal pipeline.

Capital Markets

• Assist in structuring debt and equity.
• Prepare lender and investor materials.
• Coordinate with lenders and capital partners on live transactions.

Asset Management

• Oversee business plan execution across the portfolio, maintaining current, version-controlled business plans for each investment.
• Track performance, cash flow projections, and variance analysis, flagging deviations and recommending solutions.
• Prepare monthly investor and lender updates and quarterly investor letters.
• Support refinances, recapitalizations, and dispositions.
• Drive portfolio-wide projects, including insurance, tax optimization, and capital structure.
• Integrate lessons learned from the current portfolio back into underwriting for future deals.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Advanced financial modeling skills: Ability to build models from scratch and defend assumptions.
• Strong commercial judgment.
• Urgency and an ownership mindset.
• Highly detail-oriented.
• Comfortable working with brokers, lenders, investors, and senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in a lean, high-accountability environment.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and a fast-paced environment.
• Low ego and team-first mentality.
• Willingness to travel to markets as needed.

Qualifications

• 0–4 years of experience in real estate private equity, investment banking, real estate lending, acquisitions, or asset management.
• Direct exposure to live deals, including underwriting and transaction processes.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with multifamily or student housing investments.
• Exposure to operationally focused asset management or business plan execution.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience.
• Benefits: Comprehensive health and dental coverage, generous paid time off, and all travel expenses covered.
• Upside: Opportunities for growth in responsibility, pay, and business involvement.