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Quest Training

Real Estate Development Management Training Course

Covers a real estate project's full cycle, from land selection and due diligence through approvals, funding, sales and construction to handover to owners and operators.

RDI · Real Estate Development & InvestmentAll Levels#3104ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Real Estate & Property ManagementCategories:Real Estate Development & Investment

Course Overview

The Real Estate Development Management Training Course equips development managers, project directors, asset owners, and public-sector land and housing officials with the management discipline needed to carry a real estate project through its whole cycle, from land identification and acquisition to handover and transfer to operations. It looks at the project from the developer's seat rather than from the contractor's site office or the valuer's desk. Across the Gulf and Africa, developers and government-backed entities are delivering housing, commercial, and mixed schemes where land, planning, funding, sales, and construction decisions are closely linked, and where an early mistake is expensive to reverse. The course follows the decisions a development manager actually owns. Participants examine site screening, title and land due diligence, acquisition structures, joint ventures with landowners, product definition and the development brief, and the working relationship with planning and municipal authorities. They then move through design management, consultant appointments, value engineering, cost planning, procurement routes, and the control of time, cost, and quality during construction. Funding and commercial governance run through every stage, including development budgets, off-plan sales structures and escrow arrangements, lender requirements, stage-gate approvals, and board reporting. Participants study how regulators supervise development activity as a governance topic, how risk is allocated between developer and contractor under construction contracts such as FIDIC forms, and how ISO 31000 can support project risk management. Snagging, defects liability, handover, and the formation of owners' associations complete the scope, so that the asset reaches its users and operators in good order. The course is delivered through development case studies, stage-gate simulations, budget and program exercises, risk workshops, and a final workshop that takes a single project from land to handover. Participants leave with a land due diligence checklist, a development brief template, a stage-gate governance framework, a development budget and cash flow outline, a project risk register, and a handover plan they can adapt to their own projects.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the real estate development cycle and the decisions the development manager owns at each stage.
  • Define governance roles between owner, developer, development manager, consultants, contractors, and lenders.
  • Screen land opportunities against market, planning, infrastructure, and commercial criteria.
  • Conduct land due diligence covering title, encumbrances, access, utilities, and ground conditions.
  • Compare acquisition routes, including outright purchase, long lease, and joint ventures with landowners.
  • Prepare a development brief that links market evidence to product, density, and quality decisions.
  • Manage planning and permit approvals with municipal, utility, and civil defense authorities.
  • Direct design development through stage reviews, value engineering, and cost planning.
  • Select procurement and contract strategies suited to the developer's capacity and risk appetite.
  • Build and control development budgets, cash flow forecasts, and contingency drawdown.
  • Oversee off-plan sales structures, escrow arrangements, and buyer communication as governance duties.
  • Plan completion, snagging, defects management, handover, and transfer to operations.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for development managers, development directors, project directors, land acquisition managers, and commercial and cost managers working for real estate developers, as well as design managers, planning coordinators, and sales and delivery leads who need a shared view of the project cycle. It is equally relevant for officials in housing ministries, municipalities, land authorities, and real estate regulators who oversee or sponsor development programs and who need to understand how developers take decisions. Professionals in government-backed development companies, family-owned property groups, sovereign and pension fund real estate teams, banks financing development, consultancies, and contractors moving into development will find the course directly applicable. It is particularly valuable for engineers and project managers stepping into their first development role, and for organizations setting up a development function or standardizing how projects move from land to handover.

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
  • Describe the development cycle and the key decision at each stage from land to handover.
  • Assign clear responsibilities between owner, developer, consultants, contractors, and lenders.
  • Screen land opportunities and write a reasoned recommendation for an investment committee.
  • Complete a land due diligence review covering title, access, utilities, and ground risks.
  • Choose a suitable land acquisition route, including a joint venture with a landowner.
  • Prepare a development brief that translates market evidence into a clear product.
  • Plan planning and permit approvals and coordinate the authorities involved.
  • Manage design progress using stage reviews, value engineering, and cost planning.
  • Build a development budget and cash flow forecast and report variances to sponsors.
  • Explain off-plan sales and escrow arrangements as development governance controls.
  • Maintain a project risk register and agree the actions that follow from it.
  • Plan snagging, defects management, handover, and the transfer to operations.

Course Outline

Course Outline:

Day 1

Development Cycle, Roles, and Governance

  • The real estate development cycle from land to handover and the logic of each stage
  • Developer, development manager, project manager, and contractor: where responsibilities differ
  • Ownership structures: private developers, government-backed entities, and joint ventures
  • Stage-gate governance, delegated authority, and investment committee decisions
  • How regulators supervise development activity: a governance view of permits and oversight
  • Common causes of development failure and the early warning signs for sponsors
  • Practical application: participants map the decisions and approvers for a sample housing project
Day 2

Land Identification, Due Diligence, and Acquisition

  • Site screening criteria: location, demand, access, zoning, and infrastructure capacity
  • Title, encumbrances, boundaries, and the land registry review
  • Ground conditions, utilities, environmental constraints, and enabling works
  • Acquisition routes: purchase, long lease, option agreements, and landowner joint ventures
  • Allocation of government land and the conditions that commonly attach to it
  • Highest and best use as a management judgment, and how to use valuation advice
  • Practical application: participants complete a due diligence checklist and a land acquisition memo
Day 3

Product Definition, Approvals, and Design Management

  • Reading market evidence and converting it into a product and unit mix
  • The development brief: density, quality, amenities, and target cost
  • Planning and building approvals with municipal, utility, and civil defense authorities
  • Appointing and managing architects, engineers, and specializt consultants
  • Design stage reviews, buildability, and sustainability requirements
  • Value engineering and cost planning without eroding what the customer is buying
  • Practical application: participants draft a development brief and a design review schedule
Day 4

Development Finance, Sales, and Construction Control

  • Development budgets, contingency, and cash flow forecasting
  • Equity, bank debt, and lender requirements from the sponsor's viewpoint
  • Off-plan sales structures, escrow arrangements, and buyer communication
  • Procurement routes and contract choices, including FIDIC forms
  • Controlling time, cost, quality, variations, and claims from the developer's side
  • Project risk registers informed by the ISO 31000 guidelines and reporting to the board
  • Practical application: participants build a development budget and a monthly control report
Day 5

Completion, Handover, and Transfer to Operations

  • Testing and commissioning, practical completion, and snagging
  • Defects liability, warranties, and as-built records
  • Handover to buyers, tenants, and asset managers
  • Owners' associations, service charges, and facilities management readiness
  • Post-completion review and carrying the lessons into the next project
  • Final workshop: participants present a land-to-handover plan with gates, budget, risks, and handover steps

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Amman · 31 Jan – 4 Feb 2027 · Classroom

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CityDatesPrice per ParticipantEarly Bird
IstanbulScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€4,700—
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JeddahScheduled
15 – 19 Nov 2026€4,200—
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KigaliScheduled
16 – 20 Nov 2026€5,100—
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Kuala LumpurScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€4,400€3,960until 2 Nov
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LisbonScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 9 Nov
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LondonScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€5,600€5,040until 9 Nov
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MadinahScheduled
7 – 11 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 16 Nov
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MadridScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€5,400€4,860until 23 Nov
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MakkahScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 30 Nov
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ManamaScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,700€4,230until 30 Nov
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MuscatScheduled
28 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027€5,300€4,770until 7 Dec
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OnlineScheduled
3 – 7 Jan 2027€1,700€1,530until 14 Dec
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ParisScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€5,700€5,130until 14 Dec
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Sharm El-SheikhScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€4,300€3,870until 21 Dec
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AbujaScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€5,100€4,590until 28 Dec
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SingaporeScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€6,700€6,030until 28 Dec
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AccraScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€5,100€4,590until 4 Jan
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AmmanScheduled
31 Jan – 4 Feb 2027€3,100€2,790until 11 Jan
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AmsterdamScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 11 Jan
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BakuScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€4,800€4,320until 18 Jan
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BarcelonaScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 25 Jan
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BeirutScheduled
21 – 25 Feb 2027€4,000€3,600until 1 Feb
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BerlinScheduled
22 – 26 Feb 2027€5,800€5,220until 1 Feb
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CairoScheduled
28 Feb – 4 Mar 2027€3,300€2,970until 8 Feb
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CasablancaScheduled
8 – 12 Mar 2027€4,300€3,870until 15 Feb
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Cape TownScheduled
8 – 12 Mar 2027€5,100€4,590until 15 Feb
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DammamScheduled
14 – 18 Mar 2027€4,200€3,780until 22 Feb
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DohaScheduled
21 – 25 Mar 2027€4,400€3,960until 1 Mar
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ErbilScheduled
28 Mar – 1 Apr 2027€3,100€2,790until 8 Mar
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DubaiScheduled
28 Mar – 1 Apr 2027€4,400€3,960until 8 Mar
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Available in: Istanbul · Dubai · London · Doha · Amsterdam

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