Clay started his career in 2004 working in Land Acquisition for Pulte Homes, where he was responsible for acquiring land in Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Cecil Counties, as well as Baltimore City. 

He then served for three years as an Acquisition Analyst with Alex Brown Realty, Inc. in Baltimore, MD, where he was responsible for placing joint venture private equity in real estate transactions around the nation.

Transactions ranged from $5 million to $25 million and included residential, multifamily, commercial, industrial, retail, hospitality and distressed debt assets.

Clay was honored as a 35 Under 35 award recipient presented by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which spotlights 35 top professionals under the age of 35. He is involved with charitable activities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the William S. Baer School. Clay has a Master of Science in Real Estate degree from Johns Hopkins and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Vanderbilt University.