Who Am I?: The Apartment Developer's Dilemma

As I look at the state of the Real Estate Development profession these days, I see shambles. And as I listen to my peers, I hear blame being placed on the economy, or municipalities, or banks, etc. But I don’t think that’s it- it just doesn’t feel right. I believe that our quandary lies in the fact that within the industry, there is so little consensus- even as to the definition of ‘developer.’ We don’t even know who we are, or what makes us ‘us.’

Wikipedia offers a couple definitions; [Real Estate Developers are] “the coordinators of the [real estate development] activities, converting ideas on paper into real property.” That meek and passive definition should be so offensive to ‘real’ developers that we stand up and riot. We have just been described as a bunch of secretaries. But sadly, it is not far from the truth. Especially when we consider the ‘dumbing down’ trends of recent decades in which the talents of would-be developers are molded into only low-grade project managers. Wikipedia does go on to describe the activities of developers as to “…create, imagine, fund, control and orchestrate the process of development from the beginning to end.” These are not the activities of a ‘coordinator.’ They are the actions of giants, visionaries and entrepreneurial trailblazers. The dichotomy of these two opposing definitions underscores the fact that we are standing at a momentary fork in the road. Right now, as our profession is weak, we have an opportunity to choose the path that our industry will take. But if we do not decide, the decision will be made for us.

Even Wikipedia’s two bookends fail to capture the essence of who we are. To reach the molecular understanding of what makes someone a developer, we need to take a much more Platonic approach. And for that we need to distinguish between ‘developer’ and ‘Developer.’ The Developer is an ideal. Developer is an illusory concept in which our individual experiences and the things by which we are inspired are balanced with commerce and the philanthropy. They are articulated and sculpted in the built world with our tools of wood and steel and stone and glass, of solid and void. Being a Developer is a goal, it is our life’s journey. So I’d like to propose a new answer the question ‘what makes someone a developer?’

 We become developers when we choose to marry what is inspirational in life with what is best for the public through a nimble use of our developers’ toolset. We become a developer for a lifetime, and if we are lucky in the decades that follow, for a few of those moments we transcend ‘developer’ and become a ‘Developer.’

Clearly my definition derives from a place of passion. But truthfully, isn’t it that passion that we live for, that we should strive for each and every day? Isn’t the loss of that passion in our lives tragic? Isn’t it a crime that when not guarded and protected, passion is replaced initially with apathy and eventually with resentment? When we lose the passion for our profession we are only working for money- and isn’t that sad?