A residential developer CEO decides which land to buy, how to pay for it, and how fast to turn it into lots and homes for sale. They raise money from lenders and investors, report to the owners or board, and hire the leaders who run approvals, building and sales.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, residential builders and remodelers · BLS, May 2025
Provides visionary leadership to drive the company’s strategic growth and profitability in residential building and development. Oversees real estate developments from inception to completion, ensuring projects meet quality, on-time, and financial expectations. Secures financing and fosters relationships with investors, financial institutions, and key stakeholders. Aligns company operations with long-term business goals and market trends to maintain competitive advantage.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and executes strategic plans to drive company growth and market expansion.
Oversees the planning, design, and execution of residential development projects.
Manages financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis.
Secures and manages financing for ongoing and upcoming projects.
Cultivates relationships with investors, lenders, government bodies, and industry partners.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Reviews daily operational reports and financial metrics to assess project performance.
Meets with project managers and key team members to monitor progress and resolve issues.
Engages with investors and financial partners to review funding opportunities.
Conducts market research and competitive analysis to identify new development opportunities.
Participates in strategic planning sessions with the executive team and board of directors.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth Rate: Achieve a minimum annual growth of 15%.
Net Profit Margin: Maintain a minimum of 20% profit margin across projects.
Project Completion Efficiency: Ensure 95% of projects are completed on time and within budget.
Financing Secured: Secure new financing at competitive interest rates in at least 90% of funding initiatives.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Real Estate, or a related field; MBA preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in real estate development or a related industry.
Strong strategic planning, financial acumen, and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in residential building development and managing large-scale real estate projects.
Proven track record of securing financing and managing multi-million-dollar budgets.
Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams in a dynamic, competitive environment.
Familiarity with industry regulations, market trends, and innovative construction technologies.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to participate in site visits and meet with project teams, including travel to various development locations.
Primarily office-based with occasional site inspections; ability to carry up to 20 lbs if required.
Visual and auditory acuity sufficient to work in a standard office environment and construction sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time leadership role with typical office hours and flexibility for extended meetings and travel.
Regular domestic travel to project sites and stakeholder meetings.
Occasional evening and weekend work required to meet project deadlines and manage emergencies.
Collaborative work environment that encourages cross-functional team engagement.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $200,000 - $400,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based annual bonuses tied to financial and project milestones.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
401(k) plan with company match and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking organization that values innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence.
Our culture emphasizes professional growth, inclusivity, and a passion for building vibrant communities.
We support our team with cutting-edge tools, continuous learning opportunities, and a dynamic work environment.
Join us to be part of a transformative journey in residential development where your leadership will drive meaningful change.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Every CEO sets goals and finds money. A developer's CEO also carries land for years before a house sells, and answers to the investors and lenders who paid for it.
Lot profits are usually ordinary income
IRS guidance says that when you subdivide a tract into lots to sell them, the gain is normally ordinary income. Capital gain treatment on part of the proceeds is possible only for owners who meet the requirements of tax code section 1237. If the owners also want to hold some land as a long-term investment, plan with a tax adviser how that land is owned and recorded before any subdividing starts. Source: IRS Publication 544: Subdivision of land.
Condo townhomes need a New Hampshire filing first
Many developers sell townhomes as condominium units. New Hampshire's Condominium Act bars a declarant from offering or selling a unit until the condominium is registered under the act, unless an exemption applies. Each buyer must get a current public offering statement and may cancel within 5 days after the contract date or delivery of the statement, whichever is later. Decide between condos and fee-simple lots before design starts, since it changes the sales timeline. Source: New Hampshire RSA 356-B:50, registration and public offering statement.
Selling some lots to other builders
A developer doesn't have to build every house. Selling part of a phase as finished lots brings cash in before homes go up and spreads the sales risk, but it gives up the profit on the house and some say in what gets built. Set the split phase by phase, and write design rules into the covenants so the neighborhood still looks planned.
Each community is its own investment
Investors and lenders often fund one community at a time, on different terms. The board needs a page per project: equity in, loan balance, lots finished, homes sold and forecast profit against the original plan. A CEO who reports only company totals hides which deals are working and which are using up cash.
Two kinds of leaders to hire
Turning raw land into lots takes people who know civil engineering, zoning hearings and site contractors. Building and selling homes takes people who know trades, buyers and warranty work. Few managers are strong at both. The CEO hires for each, sets who decides when land and building schedules collide, and keeps both sides on one plan.
How much residential developer CEOs make
The closest BLS group for residential developer CEOs is chief executives. Chief executives who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $213,510 a year ($102.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 520 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for residential builders and remodelers.
Most developer CEOs get a base salary, with a bonus each year when financial and project milestones are met. The template's floor sits close to the middle BLS figure for chief executives at residential builders, and its ceiling edges past the highest BLS figure shown.
Residential builders and remodelers
$213,510$213,510 median Middle half $157,070–$315,530 10th–90th $91,200–$392,560
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Residential builders and remodelers
$91,200
$157,070
$213,510
$315,530
$392,560
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS reports home builders and remodelers together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has bought land, taken it through approvals and sold out a community
Can build a project pro forma and defend each line to a lender
Has raised equity or debt for real estate projects and kept those partners informed
Reads a site plan, a plat and a construction budget without help
Hires leaders for land, building and sales and holds them to their numbers
Teach these on the job
Your local planning boards and their calendars
Your lenders' draw and reporting rules
Your floor plans and price points
Your project management and accounting software
A developer's CEO works from each project's pro forma, usually an Excel model, alongside the accounting system and the construction software the field uses, such as Procore. Note in the posting if the CEO is expected to build pro formas personally or sign off on the CFO's.
Residential developer CEO interview questions
Two of the 7 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Entitlement risk
The rezoning hearing for your next subdivision goes badly. Neighbors organized, and your land option expires in two months. Walk me through your options.
A strong answer: Meets neighbors and planning staff to learn the real objections, considers plan changes (density, buffers, traffic), negotiates an option extension, and sets how much to spend before walking away.
Behavioral · Investor and lender trust
Tell me about a time you had to tell investors or lenders that a project was behind plan. How did you handle it?
A strong answer: Told them early with the numbers, the causes and a recovery plan, kept regular updates, and kept their trust for later deals.
Treat every template figure as a sample. Base yours on past communities, lender terms and the board's plan, and revisit them whenever a new phase opens.
Revenue Growth Rate
Compare closed home and lot sales for the year with the year before, by community. Count revenue at closing, not at contract, so the figure matches the books.
Net Profit Margin
Divide net profit by revenue, company-wide and per closed-out community. Use final costs after land carry and warranty reserves, not the pro forma.
Project Completion Efficiency
For each phase, compare the actual finish date and final cost with the dates and budget the board approved. Explain every miss and what caused it: approvals, weather or a trade shortage.
Financing Secured
List each loan or equity raise the company pursued and whether it closed on terms the board accepted. Compare rates and fees with the other quotes received for the same deal.
Career path
Development project managerRuns one community's approvals, engineering and budget.
Vice president of land developmentBuys land and takes several projects through approvals.
How much should a developer spend on a site before the town approves it?
Set a cap before you start. Early money goes to surveys, wetland work, traffic and engineering studies, and legal fees for hearings, and none of it comes back if the plan is denied. Many CEOs stage the spending: a small amount to learn whether the site works, more once staff reviews look good, and the rest only after approval. Put each stage to the board as its own decision.
How much does a residential developer CEO make?
Chief executives who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $213,510 a year ($102.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $157,070 and $315,530 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should a developer's CEO hire a COO or a CFO first?
Look at where the company is stuck. If lenders and investors want better reports and cash runs tight between land deals, hire the CFO. If houses run late, budgets slip and trades complain, hire the COO. Many developers this size start with a strong controller and a COO, then add a CFO when they raise outside equity or carry several loans at once.
What should a CEO bring to a lender for a land development loan?
Bring the approved or pending site plan, the land purchase terms, a budget per lot, an absorption forecast showing how fast lots or homes will sell, and the equity going in. Lenders also weigh the team's record on past communities. The CFO can prepare the package, but the CEO should be able to explain every assumption without notes.
When should a developer bring in an equity partner?
When a project needs more cash than the company can put in without starving the next deal. A partner's money lowers the risk for the company and the lender, but the partner takes a share of the profit and often wants approval rights over budgets and sale prices. Read those rights in the operating agreement before you sign, and keep the relationship with the CEO.
Which physical tasks come with the CEO's site visits?
The template's lines on carrying up to 20 pounds and on visual and auditory acuity stay as written. On the job they mean walking a graded site with a lender, carrying plans or a laptop to a meeting, reading survey stakes, and following a superintendent's briefing near running equipment. Have candidates describe how they'd do these tasks, and settle any accommodation request together.
