Fairstead is a purpose-driven real estate firm dedicated to building affordable communities across the country. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Colorado, Florida, and Washington DC, Fairstead owns and manages a portfolio of more than 30,000 apartments, including pipeline, across 28 states. As an integrated owner, operator, and innovator, Fairstead brings development, construction, and property management under one unified platform to deliver high-quality affordable housing that serves our residents at scale.
At Fairstead, we believe affordable housing should be thoughtfully designed, professionally managed, and responsibly operated. We seek to create and preserve housing that serves residents while delivering long-term value to communities, partners, and stakeholders.
Fairstead challenges industry norms through our tech-forward, entrepreneurial approach to affordable housing. In addition to core real estate capabilities, we operate innovative service lines designed to improve resident outcomes, strengthen communities, and drive operational efficiency. We embrace digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies, including AI, to build scalable systems that support sustainable growth, grounded in a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, partnership, dedication, and integrity.
The Intern, Development Operations is an entry-level, temporary role supporting day-to-day portfolio reporting and coordination for an assigned set of Fairstead properties, working closely with and learning from the broader Development Operations team.
Responsibilities:
- Support preparation of recurring and ad hoc portfolio reports
- Help track portfolio performance data and maintain trackers and files
- Assist with coordination of vendor, contractor, and internal team communications
- Support documentation needs for lender, investor, and regulatory reporting
- Assist Senior Associates and Analyst IIs/IIIs with special projects and analyses
- Help maintain shared file management systems for the portfolio
- Use AI tools to accelerate data entry, document review, reporting, and basic analysis in daily work, and bring a curious, experimental mindset to finding new ways AI can speed up routine tasks
Requirements:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree (rising/current senior preferred); coursework or demonstrated interest in real estate or finance a plus
- No prior full-time work experience required; relevant internship or coursework experience a plus
- Strong desire to learn new skills
- Good Excel skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong AI fluency expected — this is one of the most AI-influenced roles on the team; comfort learning and experimenting with new AI tools is essential, and candidates should come in genuinely enthusiastic about using AI in their daily work
Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.
Diversity in backgrounds and experiences is key to Fairstead’s success. Being an equal opportunity employer is a central tenet of our philosophy that shapes who we are and the communities we serve. Our goal is to ensure competitive total compensation that is commensurate with experience, location, and other market benchmarks.
For information about how we use your personal information, including information submitted for career opportunities, please review our Privacy Policy at
https://fairstead.com/privacy-policy/
Skills Required
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree
- Strong desire to learn new skills
- Good Excel skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong AI fluency and comfort learning and experimenting with new AI tools
- Rising or current senior status
- Coursework or demonstrated interest in real estate or finance
- Relevant internship or coursework experience
What We Do
Fairstead is a purpose-driven vertically integrated real estate developer specializing in creating sustainable, high-quality housing. With teams operating around the country, Fairstead owns more than 16,500 apartments in 18 states. Fairstead has acquired, developed or preserved more than $4 billion in assets, and is currently working on an identified pipeline of an additional $2.3 billion in assets around the country.
