The US apartment rental market is so huge that it’s currently worth a whopping $173 billion.
It’s undoubtedly an impressive market to immerse yourself in if you’re thinking about getting into apartment leasing. As a Lewis Leasing Consultant, your job will entail finding new residents for apartment homes, handling all the papers involving the lease, and providing excellent customer service.
You will be required to build rapport with the residents and offer personalized services stipulated by the owners. Responsibilities will vary depending on the company you’re working for as a leasing consultant, but they may be similar across the board. Even after the Coronavirus, the housing market is likely not going to crash anytime soon, which means it’s as good a time as any for you to get right into it.
In this post, we’ll look at everything you need to know about being a leasing consultant. First, though, let’s start with the top 5 benefits you’ll get to enjoy.
1. You’ll Get to Interact with many People
If there’s one thing you must understand about being an apartment Leasing Consultant is that it helps to be a people person. You’ll get to interact with tons of people when showing the apartments. The thing about renters is that they come from all walks of life, and you’ll meet all kinds of people from diverse backgrounds, which is fun!
2. Variety
Being a Leasing Consultant does not require you to sit in an office all day. Leasing consultants are usually on the go helping residents and potential residents. You’ll be solving new challenges and helping people make big life decisions. Every day is different. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s also exciting.
3. Teamwork
Another benefit of having an apartment leasing job is the fact that you’ll be working with other qualified team members. You often will be collaborating with a supervisor, maintenance and grounds team members to keep residents happy and keep the apartment community looking and feeling great.
4. Rewards Without Risks
Other areas of real estate that involve investing come with inherent risks but having an apartment leasing career involves little to no risk at all. These kinds of careers bring stability into the real estate industry because leasing consultants are generally paid a base salary and a commission. This career will also offer you an opportunity to experience real estate and make it easy for you to get into investments when the time comes.
5. Control your own Income
One of the best things about being a Leasing Consultant is that the money you make will be relative to the amount of work you put in. Most apartment Leasing Consultants earn a competitive hourly salary in addition to sales commissions. It’s a way to be in control of your own income. The stronger you are at sales, means the stronger you will be at leasing apartments and earning commissions and bonuses. Depending on the size of community you work at, you be working solo or on a team. For example, at a larger community you could be on a team of Leasing Consultants. At a small community you could be the only salesperson. Either way, you have an opportunity to impact the amount of money you can earn.
What Are the Requirements for a Leasing Consultant?
At Lewis we look for folks with a college degree but that may not be a requirement for all employers. Often employers are also looking for sales or management experience in careers where you would regularly interact with people. Finally, you need to have a friendly, can-do personality.
Is Training Required?
Once you become a leasing consultant, you will get on-the-job training to learn about all the tech, skills, and systems you’ll be working with in your role. This could be a part of your onboarding process, and the training may last anything from a few weeks to a few months. You may be under supervision through the whole training process or until you’re confident or comfortable enough to pull it off on your own.
Skills Required to be an Apartment Leasing Consultant
As a Leasing Consultant, certain skills can make your career a lot easier. For instance, great communication and presentation skills are vital, both verbally and non-verbally. After all, you will need to make an instant connection with people to help them in finding their new home. Soft skills like these that not only let residents know you care and are here to help, they make you a great salesperson.
You need to have active listening skills as well, in addition to speaking, observing, and empathizing. Leasing Consultants must also have excellent written communication skills as well due to all the forms and documents they’ll be filling out.
It’s imperative for you to have strong attention to detail, so you don’t make any mistakes with the lease agreements. Additionally, you need time management skills to deal with all the residents in your designated apartments.
You also need computer skills for all your marketing needs, and sales and marketing skills. Emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, language skills, and critical thinking skills, are all great skills to bring to the table.
Becoming a Leasing Consultant
Now you know the benefits, requirements, and skills of becoming a Leasing Consultant, we invite you to start looking for apartment leasing careers.
If you’re looking for apartment leasing careers with no experience, please check out our Lewis Careers website. Apply here and work for a great family-oriented and award-winning company that prides itself on a dynamic promote from within culture.
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.