What does an occupancy specialist do?
An Occupancy Specialist assists the applicants and the residents of housing programs intending to achieve maximum occupancy. Their responsibilities include: collecting required information for the organization such as income, assessing the eligibility of occupants, maintaining occupants and potential occupant records, plan, direct, buying and, selling of the different properties such as commercial, industrial, and real estate and interaction and dealing with home-related persons such as homeowner associations.
Occupancy specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real occupancy specialist resumes:
- Manage properties and process daily operations through Yardi software system.
- Manage complex USDA management information system records for portfolio properties.
- Process application fees and determine eligibility of potential resident s qualifications for HUD and MSHDA rental assistance programs.
- Show prospective clients available units, work closely with maintenance department on move outs and move ins need rehabilitation inspections.
- Secure permanent housing for homeless veterans
- Process income certifications/re-certifications and updates in Yardi database.
- Identify incoming HIPPA applications from inmates that require expedite service.
- Maintain complete compliance through various certifications, interim certifications, and EIV repayments
- Complete background checks on all incoming portability applicants to determine eligibility to meet HUD regulations, HAFC policy and procedures.
- Investigate provider complaints to determine Medicaid contractor compliance with contracts, certification requirements, law, regulations, policies and procedures.
- Enter data in computer generating rent, utility allowance and escrow calculations.
- Prepare and process renewals and move-ins' in MRI.
- Perform all administrative duties relate to the on-site sales/marketing functions as well as updating resident information in MRI.
- Insert resident and prospect household size and financial information into OneSite for certifications.
Occupancy specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Occupancy Specialists are proficient in Tax Credit, Affordable Housing, and Yardi. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Creativity, and Instructional skills.
We break down the percentage of Occupancy Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Tax Credit, 16%
Supervised Property managers at tax credit rental properties.
- Affordable Housing, 13%
Review applications and determine eligibility for the affordable housing program for the specific communities within our portfolio.
- Yardi, 9%
Fulfilled miscellaneous YARDI reporting requests for Property Management and Subsidy Specialist.
- HUD, 8%
Completed background checks on all incoming portability applicants to determine eligibility to meet HUD regulations, HAFC policy and procedures.
- Property Management, 7%
Completed rental verification requests, created mass mailings, assisted other Property Management associates as needed.
- LIHTC, 5%
Maintain & monitor Next Available Unit Spread Sheet to maintain appropriate number of LIHTC units required within site regulations.
"tax credit," "affordable housing," and "yardi" are among the most common skills that occupancy specialists use at work. You can find even more occupancy specialist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an occupancy specialist to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "training and development specialists must evaluate training programs, methods, and materials and choose those that best fit each situation." Additionally, an occupancy specialist resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "interview applicants for qualified apartments to determine eligibility analyze documentation, check credit, and acquire third party verification"
Creativity. Many occupancy specialist duties rely on creativity. "specialists should be resourceful when developing training materials," so an occupancy specialist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways occupancy specialist responsibilities rely on creativity: "post creative and inviting ads on craigslist. "
Instructional skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of occupancy specialists is instructional skills. This skill is critical to many everyday occupancy specialist duties, as "training and development specialists deliver employee training programs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "update and/or prepare instructional materials including syllabi, powerpoint presentations, homework, quizzes, and exams. "
Communication skills. For certain occupancy specialist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of an occupancy specialist rely on this skill, as "training and development specialists must convey information clearly and facilitate learning to diverse audiences." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what occupancy specialists do: "assist management team in communication with hud, tax credit partners and housing finance commission and other funders. "
The three companies that hire the most occupancy specialists are:
- The John Stewart Company21 occupancy specialists jobs
- The Community Builders9 occupancy specialists jobs
- McCormack Baron Salazar5 occupancy specialists jobs
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Compare different occupancy specialists
Occupancy specialist vs. Development coordinator
A development coordinator is responsible for planning various programs and events for an organization or company. They primarily focus on securing funding by holding fundraising events, devising programs to increase brand awareness, and even coming up with various campaigns supporting a cause. Most of the development coordinator tasks will revolve around traveling and reaching out to clients, obtaining sponsorships, devising strategies for public relations, securing permits and logistics, seeking organizers and volunteers, and implementing policies of the company.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, occupancy specialist responsibilities require skills like "tax credit," "affordable housing," "yardi," and "hud." Meanwhile a typical development coordinator has skills in areas such as "customer service," "powerpoint," "excellent interpersonal," and "patients." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Development coordinators really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $61,149. Comparatively, occupancy specialists tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $59,297.development coordinators tend to reach higher levels of education than occupancy specialists. In fact, development coordinators are 7.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Occupancy specialist vs. Certified trainer
A certified trainer is responsible for creating a customized fitness program for clients to improve their body functions, including their cardiovascular stability, balance, flexibility, and overall wellness for a healthy lifestyle. Certified trainers determine the clients' fitness goals, monitoring the clients' progress, and adjusting training plans as needed. They also monitor their clients' food intake, encouraging them to follow strict diet procedures to maintain nutritional standards and practice health disciplines. A certified trainer must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills and extensive knowledge of the fitness industry.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, occupancy specialist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "tax credit," "affordable housing," "yardi," and "hud." Meanwhile, a certified trainer has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "food safety," "customer service," and "food preparation." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Certified trainers tend to reach similar levels of education than occupancy specialists. In fact, they're 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Occupancy specialist vs. Team trainer
A team trainer is responsible for developing the skills of employees by implementing new strategies and techniques to increase operational efficiency and maximize productivity. Team trainers conduct skill-up training sessions, adhering to the business' and clients' needs, and provide engaging and interactive discussions for the participants, evaluating their progress through a series of activities and practical applications. They also handle training budgets, creating comprehensive reports to ensure that all the training materials meet the budget goals.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, occupancy specialists are more likely to have skills like "tax credit," "affordable housing," "yardi," and "hud." But a team trainer is more likely to have skills like "excellent guest," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "guest service."
Most team trainers achieve a similar degree level compared to occupancy specialists. For example, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Occupancy specialist vs. Corporate trainer
A corporate trainer is someone who essentially works as a teacher in a corporate setting. Daily duties include training employees with new company systems, skills, and strategies. They monitor the engagement levels and performance of the training participants. Also, they collaborate with project stakeholders to create training content and design. Corporate trainers must have high interpersonal skills to connect with trainers easily and to get them to participate actively in the training sessions. Preferred candidates for the job are those with a bachelor's degree in human resources or those with relevant job experience in the same field.
Types of occupancy specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
