Constance Mitchell-Ford, who heads the global real estate and property bureau for The Wall Street Journal, sent out the following message on Tuesday:
Real estate is booming again—well, sort of—and the bureau that covers the sector has several job 0penings, as listed below.
Deputy Bureau Chief —The global real estate bureau is seeking an experienced journalist to help guide coverage of residential and commercial real estate for online and print. A key component of the job involves shepherding Property Report, the commercial real estate section that runs weekly inside Money & Investing. The ideal candidate should have financial writing experience, knowledge of the business and investing aspects of commercial and/or residential real estate and have strong editing skills. The job requires an editor who can conceptualize sophisticated stories, manage a team of reporters in New York, work with reporters and bureaus around the world on features and deliver print-ready copy. Candidate should contact Matt Murray or Constance Ford.
Housing Reporter — The global real estate bureau is seeking a reporter with a track record for breaking news and an ability to understand financial issues to cover housing policy, mortgage credit and two complex housing-related companies: mortgage behemoths Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together with government agencies fund more than four in five new home loans. The reporter will have a front row seat into major policy and political debates over the future of the $10 trillion U.S. housing-finance market as Congress and the White House struggle to deal with what to do with the failed—but now very profitable—companies. The beat also requires stepping back from the legal and political debates to explain clearly which borrowers are getting access to mortgage credit and under what terms. The ideal candidate should be able to write sharply on how housing and mortgage trends impact the economy, regulation and credit. The reporter will be expected to work closely with other reporters covering housing trends and home-building to more fully illustrate how these developments are helping or hindering the U.S. housing recovery and the broader economy. Candidate should have at least five years of reporting experience. Candidate should contact Constance Ford.
Commercial Real Estate Reporter — The global real estate bureau is seeking a reporter with a track record for breaking news to cover the financial and investing aspects of commercial real estate. Despite the real estate bust a few years ago, the world’s biggest investment firms continue to bulk up on commercial real estate, making the sector an increasingly important asset class for investors. And they’re using ever-more-clever financial tools to leverage their purchases. While following the big money is key to covering the beat, following the small investor is also important. With bond yields skimpy and stock prices volatile, an increasing number of mom and pop investors are turning to real estate in the search for higher yields and income, with mixed results. The ideal candidate should be able to break news, write fast and deliver copy that is clear and precise. The reporter will be expected to work closely with other reporters covering commercial real estate, which includes hotels, shopping malls, office towers, apartment buildings and industrial space. Candidates should have at least five years of reporting experience. Candidate should contact Constance Ford.
