What does a commercial property manager do?
A commercial property manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the daily operations at commercial properties. They manage all leasing activities and serve as the tenants' point of contact. Their responsibilities include preparing and processing documents, answering inquiries and correspondence, supervising the property staff, and developing strategies to optimize operations. There are also instances where they must collect and process payments. Furthermore, as a manager, it is their duty to handle issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
Commercial property manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real commercial property manager resumes:
- Manage vendors including developing key performance indicators plus RFP and provider selection.
- Manage segment's treasury function including equity forecasting and investment requests as well as lender relations in a difficult banking environment.
- Train entire company on new software OneSite from old version of YARDI.
- Employ contractors to repair and maintain the building, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and operating equipment.
- Lease vacant commercial space, prepare lease and abstract, bill monthly rents, input data into Yardi.
- Perform a variety of maintenance and construction duties involving 21 HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical and structural building and maintenance.
- Prepare financial reports, operations & capital budgets, quarterly re- forecasts and reconciliations.
- Draft, revise and electronically file patent applications and accompanying patent prosecution documents with the USPTO.
- Implement a preventive and operational maintenance program gear to the specific needs of properties within assign portfolio.
- Prepare annual operating, capital budgets and year-end reconciliations and ensure operational compliance with industry and corporate standards.
- Assist in annual budget preparation, submit weekly payroll documents and all require financial and occupancy reports to senior level management.
- Oversee and maintain all new lease and lease renewal practices according to HUD guidelines inclusive of the certification and verification process.
- Set up client contracts and complete monthly billing via QuickBooks software.
- Process monthly management expenses by writing vendor checks via QuickBooks, verifying EFT transactions.
- Formulate, draft, negotiate and consummate all LOI's, leases, amendments & agreements in assign territories.
Commercial property manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Commercial Property Managers are proficient in Property Management, Real Estate, and Portfolio. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Commercial Property Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Property Management, 12%
Structured and supervised all accounting functions, personnel, tenants and construction within a contemporary property management/construction firm and hydraulics business.
- Real Estate, 11%
Managed commercial real estate portfolio of office and retail mix including vendor partnerships and financial statement/reporting.
- Portfolio, 9%
Implemented a preventive and operational maintenance program geared to the specific needs of properties within assigned portfolio.
- Commercial Property, 7%
Received several annual awards as a Commercial Property Manager for providing superior quality service controlling costs to meet property owners' goals
- Yardi, 5%
Tracked property maintenance repairs using Yardi Voyager.
- Cam, 5%
Prepared monthly forecast and variance reports completed yearly CAM estimates and reconciliation reports for each property for submission to ownership.
"property management," "real estate," and "portfolio" are among the most common skills that commercial property managers use at work. You can find even more commercial property manager responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a commercial property manager to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what commercial property managers do because "property, real estate, and community association managers must understand contracts and must be able to clearly explain the materials and answer questions raised by residents, board members, or service providers." Additionally, a commercial property manager resume shows how commercial property managers use communication skills: "promote positive and proactive tenant relations through effective communication and tenant appreciation events. "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling commercial property manager duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "property, real estate, and community association managers must provide excellent support to keep existing clients and expand their business with new ones." According to a commercial property manager resume, here's how commercial property managers can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "meet with potential customers to review and present office space and apartments. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of commercial property managers is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday commercial property manager duties, as "property, real estate, and community association managers interact with different types of people every day." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "required interpersonal skills to provide exceptional customer service to tenants and prospective tenants. "
Listening skills. A big part of what commercial property managers do relies on "listening skills." You can see how essential it is to commercial property manager responsibilities because "property, real estate, and community association managers pay attention to residents and proprietors in order to understand and meet their needs." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical commercial property manager tasks: "communicated with landlord regarding building and tenant issues. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a commercial property manager to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what commercial property managers relies on this skill, since "property, real estate, and community association managers must be able to plan, coordinate, and direct multiple contractors at the same time, often for multiple properties." How this skill relates to commercial property manager duties can be seen in an example from a commercial property manager resume snippet: "maintained budget in accordance with organizational guidelines; revised all site contracts and implemented consistent rent collection procedures. "
Problem-solving skills. Lastly, "problem-solving skills" is an important element of what a commercial property manager does. Commercial property manager responsibilities require this skill because "property, real estate, and community association managers must be able to mediate disputes or legal issues between different groups of people, such as residents and board members." This resume example highlights how commercial property manager duties rely on this skill: "leased office space and resolved building maintenance issues. "
The three companies that hire the most commercial property managers are:
- Renoir Staffing24 commercial property managers jobs
- Benderson Development10 commercial property managers jobs
- JLL6 commercial property managers jobs
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Compare different commercial property managers
Commercial property manager vs. Leasing agent
A leasing agent primarily works to assist and represent property owners when finding and managing tenants. They are in charge of advertising and promoting the properties in different areas or platforms, developing marketing strategies, coordinating with applicants, gathering their requirements, verifying the applicants' paperwork and references, and negotiating leasing terms. Moreover, a leasing agent also acts as the landlord because they serve as the tenants' point of contact regarding issues and concerns, conduct property inspections, and manage the properties' maintenance operations, coordinating with the owners regularly.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a commercial property manager are more likely to require skills like "real estate," "portfolio," "cam," and "reconciliations." On the other hand, a job as a leasing agent requires skills like "customer service," "rent payments," "background checks," and "apartment homes." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Leasing agents tend to make the most money working in the retail industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,389. In contrast, commercial property managers make the biggest average salary, $56,205, in the non profits industry.leasing agents tend to reach similar levels of education than commercial property managers. In fact, leasing agents are 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Commercial property manager vs. Product lead
A product lead is responsible for monitoring the development of new products and services of an organization, starting from brand conceptualization to official market release and distribution. Product leads identify effective product management by conducting data analysis and evaluating market statistics of customer demands. They coordinate with the clients on their specifications and requirements, including the budget limit and timely deliverables. A product lead manages the brand promotion on media platforms, creating content that adheres to the target audience.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, commercial property manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "property management," "real estate," "portfolio," and "commercial property." Meanwhile, a product lead has duties that require skills in areas such as "product management," "architecture," "digital marketing," and "lifecycle management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, product leads earn a higher salary than commercial property managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, product leads earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $129,039. Whereas commercial property managers have higher pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $56,205.product leads earn higher levels of education than commercial property managers in general. They're 12.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Commercial property manager vs. Leasing consultant
A Leasing Consultant specializes in helping property owners secure tenants for their rental properties. Most of the responsibilities include coordinating with landlords to find suitable occupants, posting rental notices and advertisements on various platforms, and monitor the quality of every rental property. Furthermore, Leasing Consultants must ensure that the tenants will be able to uphold the leasing agreements by screening potential applications through particular requirements, evaluating and verifying the applicant's documentation, and negotiating the contract terms.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from commercial property manager resumes include skills like "real estate," "portfolio," "commercial property," and "cam," whereas a leasing consultant is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "data entry," "product knowledge," and "phone calls. "
Leasing consultants earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $33,561. Comparatively, commercial property managers have the highest earning potential in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $56,205.When it comes to education, leasing consultants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to commercial property managers. In fact, they're 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Commercial property manager vs. Leasing professional
A Leasing Professional is responsible for handling and coordinating with potential tenants for rental purposes. Leasing Professionals discuss the leasing terms and agreements with the clients, conduct property inspections, and identify possible repairs and renovations. They also evaluate the current market performance to negotiate pricing and payment procedures. A Leasing Professional must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in processing lease documents efficiently, responding to clients' inquiries and concerns, and adhering to state regulations and policies.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between commercial property managers and leasing professionals, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a commercial property manager might have more use for skills like "property management," "real estate," "portfolio," and "commercial property." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of leasing professionals require skills like "customer service," "property tours," "lease renewals," and "work ethic. "
In general, leasing professionals earn the most working in the finance industry, with an average salary of $35,035. The highest-paying industry for a commercial property manager is the non profits industry.leasing professionals reach similar levels of education compared to commercial property managers, in general. The difference is that they're 3.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of commercial property manager
Updated January 8, 2025
