Are you looking for a career that is exciting, rewarding, and also lucrative? If so, the field of property management may be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Careers in property management offer a versatile realm of opportunities for potential candidates. Suppose you’re interested in a position as a community director, a leasing consultant, a maintenance technician, a security or night service manager, or a groundskeeper. In that case, you can start a career that is both lucrative and challenging.
Read on below if you’re interested in careers in property management and to learn more about these positions.
Community Director
A Community Director is the leader of their Lewis community. They keep their staff motivated and engaged to assure the smooth workings of their community. By working with the regional management team, this director supervises all aspects of life in the community–for residents, visitors and staff. If you are an organized, independent and dedicated individual, this may be the perfect job for you.
The requirements for becoming a Community Director include a high school diploma or equivalent. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college, this is, of course, a plus. Any candidate should have good computer and office equipment experience.
As a Community Director, you will be using your own vehicle to travel the properties you oversee. This means you should have a current driver’s license and proper vehicle insurance. And in California, a drivers license is required to operate an electric vehicle, such as a Golf cart.
If the career of Community Director sounds intriguing to you, knowing the tasks you’ll perform is essential information to have. As the director, you’ll be expected to oversee most operations of the property you manage.
The Community Director is responsible for overseeing the other department supervisors, such as Maintenance Supervisor or Leasing Manager. Being well organized will make this much easier to take on.
As Community Director, the responsibility of training, hiring, and coaching your employees is on your shoulders. You’ll need to regularly walk the apartment communities that you manage and ensure all jobs are being done well.
Collecting rent and managing lease terms are other vital parts of this job. The Community Director works with the their staff and the public and oversees positive resident relations.
The leader in this position will also oversee guest activities, programs, and functions to ensure all residents are treated equally.
Leasing Consultant
If sales and marketing peak your interest, then becoming a Leasing Consultant may be a great job for you.
The responsibilities of a Leasing Consultant are to work closely with the community they represent. By meeting sales goals and leasing ratios, a Leasing Consultant can reach milestones and maintain them in hopes of providing current and potential residents with the best living experiences possible.
Leasing Consultant specialists should be motivated and great with sales. An engaging person with a positive attitude is the best fit for this position.
The Leasing Consultant is the face of the property. The ability to work well with people and take pride in the work you do is a must.
Those interested in making great money by doing something they love will do well in this position. Most property management teams offer commission for team members in this position to earn bonus money with each lease they make.
Motivated people with a can-do attitude and great sales ability will do well in this position. The right tools and support make Leasing Consultants shine. You will be helping current and potential residents make the best choices possible.
Maintenance Technician
Apartment maintenance jobs are one of the most important at a property management company, such as basic plumbing, drywall repair, basic electrical skills and appliance trouble-shooting. Therefore, it is best to have a bit of experience in these areas before applying to succeed in this position.
Most Lewis maintenance technician positions require previous experience with residential property maintenance. This ensures issues that arise can be taken care of quickly and efficiently to keep all tenants happy. It is also preferred for a Technician to either live on the property or within a 30-40 minute drive to ensure they can be on call when needed by residents after hours. These “on-call” duties are traditionally shared by all maintenance teams, where the “on-call” duties go back and forth among a team of Technicians. .
Property maintenance team members must ready units for occupancy. They also maintain units of current residents. The upkeep of office areas is also required.
Maintenance Technicians are expected to provide basic maintenance to HVAC systems to keep them running efficiently. At Lewis, our training team even helps Technicians get certified in HVAC. Carpentry work and painting are also skills needed in this position.
Lewis Maintenance teams install and repair all appliances inside residents apartments. If it is a big problem, Maintenance Technicians will replace the appliance, but many times they can be fixed with good trouble-shooting and the right supply of parts. Team members will also handle most electrical work to keep properties in good shape.
If you have a great personality and previous experience, being a Maintenance Technician may be the perfect job for you.
Security (Night Service Manager)
The Night Service Manager role is a critical job in the world of property management. The ability to handle stress, think on your feet, and work alone is a must. If interested, you must also pass a drug screening.
As security at a rental community, previous experience in security or military background is a great plus, as well as customer service. This helps those at the property feel safer knowing someone with a trusted background is on the job.
The person who takes on the night service management position will be expected to enforce all rules and regulations of the property they work for. Parking enforcement, routine patrols, and minor repairs are all expectations of this position.
Night Service Managers should have good people skills. This allows them to work well with residents. In addition, a positive attitude when enforcing property rules is a must. After all, being a Night Service Manager at a large, upscale apartment community is very different that being a security guard at a warehouse. There is much more customer service involved.
As the manager on duty at night, the ability to think on your feet is needed to help bring problems to a positive resolution. While working alone, you will be expected to answer questions and help residents with any issues they may have.
Groundskeeper
Groundskeeper jobs are important positions in a rental community. These individuals are responsible for the appearance and cleanliness of the community. The results of this position are often one of the first things people see when visiting. In fact, Lewis Groundskeepers are the biggest reason people stop by at Lewis communities–because they look so great and well-maintained.
The responsibilities of the Groundskeeper include walking the grounds to ensure things are tidy. Janitorial cleaning of common areas is also expected. Most communities also turn to the janitorial team to ensure the completion of painting and other side work.
By using an eye for detail, Groundskeepers ensure all public areas are clean and inviting. Various custodial jobs are constantly needing to be done. A great customer service attitude is a must, considering you will be dealing with residents daily.
Often Groundskeepers and other employees receive discounts on rentals. This makes getting to work easy. You’ll be on the property when needed by your team.
With the great pay and benefits included, this job is for those looking for a new career. If you are self-motivated and meticulous about cleanliness, this is the perfect rental property job for you to consider.
Finding Careers in Property Management
If you’re searching for the perfect apartment community job, now’s the time to act. These five careers in property management are simply waiting for suitable candidates to step in and shine.
To start a career in property management, contact Lewis to learn more about our open positions. We’ll be waiting to hear from you.
David Draper is the Director of Talent Acquisition for the Lewis Group of Companies. David is proud to be a part of a successful, stable, and winning team dedicated to its projects, its people and its community. Follow David on Twitter @LewisRecruits.