The relationship between architects and project developers is typically viewed from within disciplinary boundaries as a polarised relationship of separation. This is captured in a prevailing view of architecture as a liberal art, and the myth of its position independent of commercial interests. In search of another way to study the intersection between the two professions, we study the trajectory of architect-developer Jean-Florian Collin in interwar Brussels. By recollecting the transactional spaces he operated in, we explore and interpret the societal conditions in which an emancipated architect-developer was able to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to building the city. This paper assesses the hypothesis that an urban society 'gets the kind of real estate it deserves', and adds to burgeoning scholarship in architecture and planning concerning the conditions needed for housing architecture to thrive.