REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
White Paper by Nigel D’souza
Management Consultant at The Phillips Group
INTERVIEW GUIDE
“Our region deserves the chance to organise this great world exhibition. Our country is ready to host it. We will keep our promise in connecting great minds to build a better future and we will organise the best event in the history of the World Expo.” – Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai
With global growth reaching circa 3.1 percent in 2015 and projects of 3.4 for 2016 and 3.6 in 2017; most analysts, pundits, academics and industry experts alike sing in chorus when they predict anemic growth for the next 24 months.
The movers and shakers of the Middle East market have built the foundation of their success on two main pillars, Real Estate and Oil & Gas. As the region matures its leaders are working feverishly to shift their focus away from Oil & Gas and into other areas. For as we know the stone age did not end for a lack of stones, and so too will be true for the Oil & Gas industry. During this transition period Real Estate will be an integral plot line to the region’s economic narrative.
Emaar Properties, developer of the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, has handed over 40,000 homes in the last 18 years since its inception in 1997, averaging the delivery of 6 homes per day, according to the developer’s financial statement released recently. This only shows the aggressive trends in the market for property development. With the growing trend in the Real Estate Development Sector there is an immediate need to cater to the development of land and property that sees an increased need for competent Chief Development Officers to orchestrate the mega mixed-use development projects to cater to the needs of the growing economy.
Having been based in the Middle East for over a decade, I have personally witnessed the rise of the Middle East from mere stand-alone villas and townships to mega-smart cities. When it comes to Property Development the Middle East has been creating waves across the global stage right from the tallest structure to the world’s best man-made islands. The region has become a mecca for cutting edge architectural feats and is now delivering a gravitational pull on the world’s greatest real estate talent.
“Real estate is at the core of almost every business, and it’s certainly at the core of most people’s wealth. In order to build your wealth and improve your business smarts, you need to know about real estate.” – DONALD TRUMP
“Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.” – Andrew Carnegie
HIRING THE BEST CDO
In the 1970s the top five tallest buildings were in the West with United States of America holding the lion’s share of the accolades. By 2020 the top five tallest buildings will be in the East, namely China and the Middle East. The rate of development is reaching unprecedented rates and this is putting enormous stress on the Real Estate market in the Middle East. From developing single asset projects to delivering entire cities with mixed use developments that can be viewed from outer space. With great projects comes the need for great talent. Today there is more demand for talented Chief Development Officers in the GCC region than ever before.
In response to this need we are creating this assessment guide for The Chief Development Officer (CDO). As selecting the right talent can not only save you literally millions upon millions of dollars, it is instrumental to achieving your vision. This guide is based on having placement numerous CDOs in the Middle East and on a deep understanding of the nuances and challenges the region presents to its executives.
This assessment guide covers all areas of assessing the most competent CDO will ensure you are able to realize your vision, no matter how big it is. This interview guide is based on a behavioural interviewing approach, which subscribes to the belief that the best predictor of future behaviour is previous performance. Thus interviewers should be weary of candidates who do not provide specific examples from their work history and prefer to answer with theory and broad brush statements flush with industry buzz words. A push for specific examples must be made by the interviewer under pinned by a relentless investigations of the details.
Top candidates will enjoy having a deep dive into their history as after all this is their life’s work and passion. Weak candidates will become defensive and agitated as you probe their depth only to find a shallow pool created by an individual whose modus operandi is to do the bare minimum required of their job. Additionally, leading candidates will be able to explain the most complex topics with simple English while B players will cling to the complex rigidity unable to demonstrate agility in their perspective or communication style.
The interviewer should also take notice of the subject’s reaction to the interview as if they are easily agitated in the interview, imagine how they will react under the real stress of a billion dollar mixed use development. While there are several other critical areas required for the role, the initial interview assessment will look at these seven areas. Other critical areas such as decision making, results orientation, attribution style, operating style, etc, can be informally assessed during the interview or touched on in second or third stage interviews.
1 – Project Management & Development
Project management is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria. A project is a temporary / ongoing endeavour designed to produce a unique product in this case property development with a defined beginning and end undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value. The candidate should exhibit strong project management and development skills.
- What is the toughest thing about managing a large mixed use development?
- Describe a time you realized a project you were working on was going to be over budget and / or over time? How did you course correct it?
- When you are on the construction site what do you look for to find out if a project is going in the right direction or not?
- How often do you visit the construction site during a project?
- Describe a time you realized there was an issue with the engineering of a project?
- What are the three biggest mistakes Property Development Officers make when managing a large mixed use development?
- In which stage of your career did you really hone your construction skill set?
- What is the key to successful development?
- What is the worst construction development project you ever worked on?
- Describe a time you had to redo the schedules for a project? How did you know that needed to be done?
- Describe a time you had an innovative idea that was profitable?
- Have you ever been working on an unprofitable project and then developed a new idea and /or concept that successfully turned it around and delivered profits?
- If you been given surplus funding to sell a dead development project that others failed to sell, what would be the 5 most critical steps you would take to turn around a loss making project into a profitable one.
- Describe a time you had an innovative idea as it relates to Real Estate Development?
2 – P&L Management
Nothing can kill a project faster than a lack of cash flow. Managing a P&L effectively can be the saving grace of a development company. A CDO must be prepared to survive the devastating swings of the Real Estate market which can at times vacillate from vertical rocket fueled growth to complete market free fall. This industry is not for the faint of heart and only those with a commanding knowledge of P&L Management can last in the long run.
The candidate must demonstrate strong P&L management and the interviewer must assess how the CDO will manage his cost allocation, cash flow, project funding, and asset development. Creating the right mix of assets at the right time is instrumental to ensuring cash flow does not get strained.
Accounting duties, responsibility for profit and loss statements, budgeting, forecasting, maintaining monthly journal entries and developing the company’s annual budget are among the CDO’s finance responsibilities. For CDOs whose jobs entail human resources duties, preparing the company’s budget also includes determining appropriate salaries and benefits for staff. CDO’s for start-up organizations pitch business plans and seek capital funds for growth. The CDO can also be involved in exit strategies.
- What kind of P&L responsibilities did you have? How did you manage your resources?
- Describe a time you had to create SPVs within a project? What was your role in that and how did you go about it?
- Describe a time you made changes to the balance sheet to create value? What was the result?
- Describe a time you were effectively able to change a projects cost position? What was the situation, what did you do and what was the result?
- What type of controls do you like to implement on a project?
- Describe a time you have developed a budget from scratch? How effective were you at sticking to that budget?
- Describe a time you had to take over a project that had a cost position that was out of control, how did you fix the situation?
- Describe a time you had a contractor that was over cost and under delivering, how did you deal with the situation?
- How do you safe guard your balance sheet? What measures can you take to “bullet proof” your balance sheet?
- Describe a time you went through an audit? What was required by the auditors?
- How do you calculate your cost of funds?
- Describe a time you changed the capital structure of a project to create value?
- Describe a time you discovered information in the P&L was incorrect? How do you ensure the financial data for your project is accurate.
- As debt financing remains challenging to secure, private financing remains an attractive option. Walk me through your thoughts on private financing?
- How are Private Real Estate Fund formed?
3 – Execution and Results
The candidate must demonstrate the ability to deliver results against all odds. They must have a clear desire for impact. That is the intrinsic need to stand out from one’s peers. The incumbent must be proactive when facing an impasse situation. That is the ability to deliver innovative solutions to situations in which their cohorts would have thrown in the towel and would have given up. The results oriented mind is structured in its ability to drive results and as such should demonstrate the ability to create infrastructure around their goals such as milestones, monitoring systems, and other tangible items to increase the likelihood of achievement.
- Describe a time you took over a project that was over budget and past its timelines and you were able to turn it around and get it back on track?
- Describe a time you delivered in almost impossible conditions?
- Describe a project you felt like quitting but were able to muster the resolve to push through the dark spot to deliver profitable results?
- Describe a time you created an innovative solution to a problem?
- What are the critical areas to look at when assessing the performance of a business unit?
- If you were to start tomorrow and were given a business unit to improve, what KPIs, success metrics, data, would you look at to get an idea of where the company is performance wise? What type of dashboard would you create? What would your process of corporate development look like?
- Have you ever had to turn around a non-performing business unit? If so what was the situation, what did you do and what was the result?
- What kind of reports and reviews do you use when spearheading a project development initiative?
- Describe a time you had to figure out if a team is operating at capacity? What was the situation, what did you do and what was the result?
- Describe a time that you were dealing with a team which was underperforming. How do you tell if it is a management issue, market related issue, cost issue or other? How do you know what the real issue at hand is? Describe a time you had to perform this type of analysis in real life; how did you go about it?
4 – Management & Communication
A great CDO understands how to unify a diverse group of people towards a common goal under intense time pressures and budgets. From internal direct reports, to contracts to external public sector agencies; the CDO must be a master of aligning professionals towards their project objectives. This requires leadership and a deep understanding of the management tool kit used to drive key behaviors in large complex teams which transcend organizational boundaries. Candidates who score high on this criteria will have a clear idea of what kind of infrastructure must be created to drive a construction project from good to great.
The CDO who scores high on this criterion will also understand the need for creating mutual accountability between departments, business units, and contractors and how to unify this diverse group under the same set of success metrics. This criterion’s score is out of 10 with 5 points on Management and 5 points on Communication. Included in the communication section is negotiation which will also be key to this role.
MANAGEMENT
- In your career what has been the most trying management experience you have had?
- Describe a time you created a management dashboard to monitor and drive your contractors to peak performance?
- Describe a time you were able to effectively manage a large group of contractors?
- Describe a time you failed to manage a contractor effectively which resulted in losses to your company? What was the major learning that you had?
- Describe a time you were able to align your contractors, internal team and other business units towards a common goal?
- How do you create mutual accountability between different groups on a construction project?
- What are the key elements of team building? (Describe 3 of the most important aspects of teambuilding?), (Leveraging Strengths/ Weaknesses, Common Goal, Common approach, Common measure, being mutually accountable).
- How do you embed your team building philosophy into the organization? How do you embed this into your recruitment process, your training & development, you career planning, promotions, innovations, compensation & benefits?
- Describe a team building process and infrastructure you have created?
- What are the top three values an organization should excel at? How do you embed these in the organization?
COMMUNICATION
Negotiation:
- Describe your best negotiation in a procurement process?
- What is your approach to negotiation? Describe some of your preferred negotiation strategies? Have you ever hear of pareto efficiency?
- Describe a negotiation you lost, what did you learn from that experience?
- What are five key things you must do in a negotiation? and implemented it successfully? What was the result?
Creating Influence and Driving Consensus:
- Describe a time you had to consciously adjust your operating style to accommodate your audience?
- How do you ensure you are being interpreted correctly?
- Describe a time your received feedback from a peer and acted on it?
- What steps do you take to establish a rapport with others?
- Describe a time you had trouble creating consensus at the senior management level?
- Describe a time you proposed an idea to the organization which was rejected? How did you react?
- Where you able to eventually get them to accept your idea?
- Describe a time you had to influence someone to do something and your initial approach did not work, and you were able to change your approach to get the desired result?
- Describe a time you had a disagreement with a co-worker but were still able to maintain productive relations and deliver results?
- Tell me about a time when being more aware of what is going on would have helped to solve a problem?
- Describe the last time you lost your temper? What did you say and do?
5 – Design During Execution
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail”. – Sir Winston Churchill
The design and planning phase of property development will directly impact your end result, thus it is a very important stage. Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of a development project (as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawings or architectural changes). In this case the CDO will need to make on the ground changes during construction to enhance value creation as well as to correct design flaws on site. This may be items such as moving a stairwell or elevator shaft to make room for generators, or ventilation systems or can be as drastic as moving entire sections of the structure from more acute issues.
- Describe a time you had to change the design of a project once you were more than 50% completed construction? What did you do and what was the result?
- What steps do you take to minimize design changes during the construction phase?
- Describe a time that you changed a design during construction to increase return on equity? What did you do and how much value did your change create?
- How do you ensure that you have the right member in the project management team that could oversee design at the planning phase?
- How do you ensure how much equity you could create in a development project?
- What does development control plan (DCP) allow?
- How do you ensure what do tenants look for in a building?
- How have you differentiated your development projects in the past as to what the market offers?
- How do you ensure that the concept plan has been approved by the local municipality / land development authority?
6 – Technical Expertise
Technical Expertise are specific competencies that drive proven high-performance, quality results for a given position. They are often technical or operational in nature. The CDO needs to be a highly skilled expert and must be up to date with the market trends in order to meet the right standards and create the right solutions when faces with challenges. The Chief Development Officer will have the gravitas to engage with not just site and project management teams but also government related entities. They will have an innate ability to see through corners when projects have been stalled due to technical snags.
- How would you rate your basic knowledge of the five core topics of property development: market analysis, finance for real estate, project management, facilities and operational management and asset management.
- What has been the most complex and challenging processes involved in the acquisition of land for the purposes of establishing access agreements, for the provision of power, water, pipelines or communications Infrastructure?
- How have you resolved to disputes/complex cases in all matters relating to provision of power, water, pipelines, other third party or communications infrastructure.
- What measures do you take to make sure all health and safety issues and the requirements for compliance are met according to standards?
- How often have you been able to catch an error that requires a necessary remedial/ preventative works based on information gathered from inspections
- How would you rate your understanding of the appropriate level of detail required in typical reports, including examples of layout, and the use of sketches/drawings and photographs?
- What, in your opinion could be the typical defects that could be overlooked in surveys & inspections for mixed use developments?
- Have you ever faced any conflict with the test equipment (damp meters) results?
7 – Overall Fit
“Mark this well, you proud men of action: You are nothing but the unwitting agents of the men of thought who often, in quiet self-effacement, mark out most exactly all your doings in advance.”
– Heinrich Heine, German poet, journalist, essayist, and literary critic
Overall fit relates to a candidates seniority and ability to evoke change within a company. The Every actioned is seeded in thought. Our thoughts stem from our subconscious mind which rest on the bedrock of our values and beliefs. While you may hire on technical ability you will fire on fit. To ensure a successful hire the values and beliefs of a candidate must be assessed. In the chart below you can see a visual representation of how culture enables or chokes an executive’s ability to be successful.
The candidate must demonstrate the ability to be a change agent within the organization. As leaders they must be able to influence the organization while at the same time be influenced by it. While assessing fit is a complex task that takes years to master, a few questions to get you started are suggested below.
Seniority:
- Who do you report to? Who do they report to? (Get org structure).
- Who reports to you? What is the size of your team?
- Which functions to you lead in the organization? (if not already answered)
- Are you involved in any other companies? Do you own or are part owner in any other organisation?
- How many geographies do you manage or are you involved in?
Organizational Fit:
- What is success? What does professional success look like to you?
- What are you long term goals over the next 10 years? What is your life’s work going to be? Who do you want to become? In the next ten years how will you measure success?
- What is the fondest moment of your career? What was the happiest time of your career? Describe the year, position and circumstance of this satisfying career moment?
- Describe the management style that will bring forth your best work and efforts, and three to five expectations that you have of senior leaders in an organization where you will work successfully.
- Do you believe a Chief Development Officer should resign on a serious point of conflict where he/she believes that they or on a moral high ground? Have you ever been in such a situation and how did you handle that?
- Describe the biggest accomplishment of your life? How did you create your approach to achieving the goal? What success metrics did you use? What KPIs did you use to measure your movement towards the goal?
- When was the last time you lost your temper? Describe the last time you screamed at someone?
- Who do you view as the greats of your profession? Who do you aspire to be like?
- What are you currently reading? What is your favorite book?
- Do you ever read autobiographies of successful or famous people?
Other critical data such as family details, compensation expectations and commitment towards the new opportunity needs to also be formally assessed as the CDO is very crucial for the success of a development project.
About the Author
Nigel D’Souza
Nigel D’Souza is a Management Consultant at The Phillips Group. He comes with over 12 years of cross functional industry experience in workforce management and recruitment. He has held analytical, executive search and Talent Acquisition positions, within both B2B and B2C organizations.
He began his career as a Workforce Analyst managing over 2000 employees with America On-Line before moving to the United Arab Emirates in 2004 to take up an HR role within a prominent property development holdings company. Having spent a short stint embarking his past learning’s in setting up best in class recruitment tracking systems he later moved into a leading local recruitment firm where he spent a considerable amount of time harnessing his skills across cross-functional and industry specialization recruitment.
Prior to joining The Phillips Group, Nigel held the position of a Regional Talent Acquisition Manager for a global FMCG company where he secured and executed all international talent acquisition functions across the EMEA & SEA region.
Nigel is committed to partnering with clients to deliver effective aftermaths and with a career background in both in-house and agency recruitment, his search work extends across functional specialization. Nigel holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Communications from Christ University. Currently with The Phillips Group he embarks his learnings towards serving specialized clients within diversified business interests especially within Real Estate Development and Financial Services.