Leasing Agent: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a leasing agent?

Hiring a great leasing agent ensures the company can maintain high occupancy rates to achieve its current and future goals of the company. A great leasing agent can help your business by: 

• Presenting properties to prospective lessors 
• Assisting property owners with navigating the property market by standing in as a landlord for them
• Employing various promotional strategies to market the property to attract a higher number of potential lessors

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance leasing agent

Landlords and property management companies can hire freelance leasing agents when they have a property that needs to be filled in a timely manner. The agent lists the property, meets with potential tenants and shows them the building, performs background checks and provides the owner with a list of ideal candidates. 

Landlords who own a lot of property, such as apartment complexes, can hire a full-time leasing agent to consistently be searching for tenants to place in vacated apartments. Property management companies can also hire full-time leasing agents to take care of leasing services for the company’s clients. 

What are the ranks of leasing agents?

There are a few positions in the field of property management that a leasing agent may have held. These jobs include:

• Maintenance coordinator: A maintenance coordinator is responsible for responding to tenants’ concerns about appliance issues in their homes. The coordinator then locates, hires and schedules a maintenance worker to resolve the problem. 
• Leasing agent: Leasing agents work to find tenants for vacant apartments and homes. They can handle listings and showings and conduct background checks. 
• Assistant property manager: The assistant property manager is responsible for helping the property manager with their responsibilities. They may take care of collecting rent, advertising the homes or apartments and responding to tenant concerns. 
• Property manager: The property manager often acts as a liaison for the owner of the property. They delegate tasks to the other members of the team and respond to major problems presented by the residents. 

Where to find leasing agents

To find the right leasing agent for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Hire from within. Conduct interviews with some of your other employees, such as maintenance coordinators, to see if they’re interested in the position. If they are, determine if they have the required skills and make an offer. 
• Post help wanted signs. Hang up help wanted flyers to let the community know about the job and encourage people to send in applications. 
• Look for freelance agents online. Freelance leasing agents may be advertising themselves online. Reach out to them to see if they’re a fit for the job and if they want it. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your leasing agent job on Indeed to find and attract quality leasing agent candidates.

Skills to look for in a great Leasing Agent

Leasing Agents should ideally possess strong business development and client relationship skills. The key responsibility is focused on making the company achieve its profitability targets by aiming to achieve full property occupancy.

• Associate Degree preferred though a High school diploma or GED is acceptable
• Proven experience of more than 3+ years’ in hospitality, leasing in an administrative capacity
• Exceptional communication and problem-solving skills
• Excellent knowledge of the real estate industry
• Strong ability to multitask
• Good sales, negotiation and follow-up skills

Writing a leasing agent job description

A thoughtful description can help you find qualified leasing agent candidates. A leasing agent job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your leasing agent job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting . These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on leasing agent jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Leasing agent
• Leasing consultant
• Real estate
• Leasing
• Hiring immediately
• Apartment
• Remote work from home
• Apartment leasing agent
• Leasing specialist
• Lease purchase truck driver

Interviewing leasing agent candidates

Strong candidates for leasing agent positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience showcasing properties to potential lessors
• Detailed understanding of the real estate industry and related areas
• How they’ve attained targeted occupancy rates for properties

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of leasing agent interview questions for examples (with sample answers).