What Does a Leasing Agent Do?
Leasing agents help rent out buildings, apartments, and homes. They must have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Leasing agents may work with short term or long term rentals, and they may work with residential or commercial properties. Their salary is often based on commission and how much they rent. The most important part of being a leasing agent is having strong knowledge of the real estate market.
Most of the day will be spent assisting possible tenants in seeing the property, recommending other properties as applicable, helping them tour spaces, and working through signing the lease. Customer service is extremely important in this field of work, and those wanting to become leasing agents should be personable and outgoing.
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National Average Salary
Leasing agent salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Leasing Agent is:
$42,180
Leasing Agent Job Descriptions
The first step when hiring a great leasing agent is a well-crafted job description. Below are real-world examples to help give you the best chance of success on your recruiting journey.
Example 1
As a leasing agent at [Your Company Name], you will be one of the smiling faces of our firm. You will be the main point of contact for possible tenants and the first one they meet when they come in for information or a showing. You will be assisting them through the entire process from beginning to end. Typically, the process starts via a phone call, online inquiry, or a walk-in. You will ask the possible residents key questions in order to best understand what they are looking for in their next property so that you can recommend appropriate units that are available or coming available soon. Once you have determined the best fit, you will be expected to give the future resident a property tour. With a positive attitude, and a true desire to help our clients, you will have the potential for great success in this position.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Explain the leasing agreement, financial obligations, and other pertinent information to the future residents
- Assist current residents by coordinating maintenance issues, payment, and resident account issues
- Follow up with probable renters
- Stay up to date with leads and newly listed properties
- Have a good relationship with tenants
- Review bank statements on applications
- Run background checks and credit checks
- For apartment leasing agents, you will oversee facilities offered like, mailrooms, laundry rooms, game centers, and fitness centers
- Stay in communication with the tenants
- Provide the tenants with needed assistance
- Collect rent payments, application fees, and deposits
- Check contact references, reference letters, and lease agreements
- Stay in contact with the maintenance team
- Show properties to potential tenants
- Arrange meetings with tenants
- Advertise properties properly
Education and experience
- High school diploma or G.E.D.
- Three or more years of experience as an agent or similar field
- Understanding of the real estate industry
Required skills and qualifications
- Work well with others
- Strong negotiation skills
- Outgoing
- Experience in sales
- Great communication skills
- Excellent written skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational skills
- Time management skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Basic computer skills
- Knowledge of real estate terminology and contracts
- Detail-oriented
- Proficient multitasker
- A reliable source of transportation
- Self-driven
Preferred qualifications
- Bilingual and/or multilingual
- Willing to work extended hours
- Degree in business management, real estate, or a related field
- Five or more years experience
Example 2
Primary responsibilities
- Have or acquire the information necessary to navigate the rental process
- Accepting and vetting leads provided by the office team and/or posting your own ads of Craigslist and other ILS feeds
- Tracking and managing leads
- Touring prospective residents through our buildings and units
- Providing applications to prospective residents and following up on the application process
- Signing leases with prospective residents
- Prepare tour reports
- Explaining and understanding the Move-in Requirements
- Move-in Funds required
- Deposit required
- Renters Insurance
- Understand market rent/design/neighborhood trends in area
Minimum requirements and qualifications
- A state Real Estate Salesperson or Brokerage license is required
- Previous real estate experience and customer service is advantageous
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
Key skills and competencies
- Customer service focused
- Attention to detail and being self-motivated are required
- Must work well in a team setting
- Effective communication skills are required, both verbal and written
- The ability to work independently, be organized and detail-oriented
- Flexibility in schedule including nights and weekends as needed
- Capability to work collaboratively and prioritize teamwork
Example 3
This role demands exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills and stellar work ethic.
Your Benefits
- FLSA Status Exempt
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Paid Time Off
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 401k Matching
- Paid Maternity Leave
Your Responsibilities
- Prioritize interactions and communication with customers. Provide community and amenity tours
- Provide feedback on sales barriers and customer objections to management team
- Execute sales and engagement initiatives as outlined by management
- Provide recommendations on local marketing opportunities and messaging
- Assist with social media and communication on various platforms to engage customers
- Assist with planning, promoting and executing customer experience initiatives, engagement initiatives, and additional marketing opportunities
- Always represent the community positively and professionally, both in and out of the office
Property administration
- Demonstrate proficiency with general community, market and policy knowledge
- Log, file and retrieve customer packages
- Assist with general housekeeping involved with opening, closing and maintaining the office, clubhouse, grounds, and amenities
- Schedule and follow up on maintenance requests to aid in timely resolutions
- Maintain office organization and cleanliness
- Assist with after-hours lock out duties as required
What we require
- Customer-centric mindset
- Agility and flexibility with a frequently changing environment
- Great communication and interpersonal skills with a diverse population
- Reliability and self-discipline
- Availability to work during summer, holidays, and Turn periods
Example 4
Responsibilities
Responsibilities include leasing, marketing, and maintaining positive resident relations of multi-family residential apartments.
- Immediately record all telephone and in-person visits
- Greet and qualify prospects by covering all criteria (ask questions, utilize digital guest cards, etc.) and follow up on prospects that did not close/refer to sister properties
- Inspect model and market ready suites to ensure apartments are neat, clean, and ready for resident move-ins
- Administrative functions (resident files, daily inspections, correspondence distribution to residents, and various tasks as requested or needed)
- Resident retention (plan, host, and attend resident events, as well as handle concerns, maintenance requests with follow up upon completion, invoice and notifications distribution, contribute to cleanliness/curb appeal)
- Neighborhood marketing (outreach activities, advise residents of referral concessions, distribute newsletters, pamphlets/flyers, market surveys, and shop competitive communities)
Qualifications
- Willingness to obtain Fair Housing Certification prior to interacting with prospective residents
- Strong oral and written communication skills along with professional, positive attitude
- Computer friendly (RHM software used; Word, Outlook, Yardi, Yardi Popcard)
- Must be able to work Saturdays
- 2 years prior experience in relevant customer service or sales
- Ability to work some evenings and weekends
Candidate Certifications to Look For
- Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (Formerly known as NALP). This is the perfect certification for leasing agents who are working in apartments. This covers everything from using technology to drive traffic to a candidate’s facility to how to secure lease renewals. To qualify, candidates need six months of experience, must pass the seven required courses, and take an exam within six months.
- Certified Leasing Consultant (CLC). This is another certification that specializes in apartment rentals. There are multiple courses that candidates will need to take, and they’ll need to pass an exam. However, there are no prerequisites before taking the course, making this one easier to achieve.
Sample Interview Questions
- Are you familiar with real estate laws and regulations, such as fair housing laws or property disclosure laws?
- Are you able to manage multiple listings and clients at once, and ensure that everyone is informed and satisfied?
- How did you overcome any obstacles or issues that arose in a particularly challenging real estate transaction you have been involved in?
- How do you use market research and analysis to inform your client recommendations?
- What is your experience with contract negotiations, and how do you ensure all terms and conditions are clearly outlined and agreed upon?
- How do you stay up-to-date on market trends and changes in the real estate industry?
- What steps do you take to ensure a successful outcome when dealing with challenging clients or negotiations?
- How would you handle a situation where a resident has destroyed property intentionally?
- What is your process like when a tenant refuses to pay their rent?
