How to hire a property management assistant

How to hire a property management assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step property management assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a property management assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new property management assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a property management assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a property management assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect property management assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of property management assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Property Management Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Property Management Assistant	Property, real estate, and community association managers take care of the many aspects of residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They make sure the property is well maintained, has a nice appearance, and preserves its resale or leasing value.	$11-23
   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... Show more	$12-19
   Building Manager	Building managers are executives who oversee the maintenance and safety of properties and make sure that these properties comply with the organization's goals. The managers coordinate and manage the safety, security, and maintenance of the general building... Show more	$17-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Property Management
   • Real Estate
   • Yardi
   • Vendor Contracts
   • Rent Payments
   • Property Inspections
   • HVAC
   • Office Equipment
   • Service Contracts
   • MRI
   • Budget Preparation
   • Property Maintenance
   • Insurance Certificates

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage condominiums for individual investors; enforce lease requirements/community policies.
   • Code and input all tenant invoices into MRI system.
   • Process all invoices in MRI system for vendors in accounting files.
   • Oversee building systems, including fire/life safety programs, HVAC and electrical issues.
   • Track HVAC and other tenant calls and insurance compliance along with maintaining files.
   • Prepare for all annual HUD inspections, interior and exterior, and all audit's.

   More property management assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your property management assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A property management assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, property management assistants' average salary in south carolina is 37% less than in arizona.
   • Seniority. Entry-level property management assistants 50% less than senior-level property management assistants.
   • Certifications. A property management assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a property management assistant's salary.

   Average property management assistant salary

   $16.74hourly

   $34,826 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level property management assistant salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average property management assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Arizona	$43,084	$21
   2	California	$41,621	$20
   3	Washington	$38,961	$19
   4	Pennsylvania	$38,014	$18
   5	New Jersey	$37,790	$18
   6	North Carolina	$36,329	$17
   7	Colorado	$36,132	$17
   8	New Mexico	$35,146	$17
   9	Florida	$34,794	$17
   10	Oregon	$34,575	$17
   11	Iowa	$33,772	$16
   12	Ohio	$33,486	$16
   13	Texas	$32,665	$16
   14	District of Columbia	$31,735	$15
   15	Indiana	$31,317	$15
   16	Wisconsin	$30,804	$15
   17	New York	$30,180	$15
   18	Maryland	$28,511	$14
   19	Virginia	$28,472	$14
   20	Tennessee	$28,318	$14

   Average property management assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BGC Partners	$44,747	$21.51	2
   2	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$40,685	$19.56
   3	D.R. Horton	$40,138	$19.30
   4	Chinatown Community Development Center	$37,999	$18.27	2
   5	Wisconsin	$37,431	$18.00	2
   6	Carroll Company	$37,431	$18.00
   7	Pathstone Corporation	$37,419	$17.99	2
   8	JLL	$37,048	$17.81	69
   9	Allied Solutions	$37,046	$17.81
   10	Grand Peaks	$36,570	$17.58
   11	Aurora Housing Authority - Colorado	$36,371	$17.49	2
   12	Randstad North America, Inc.	$36,208	$17.41
   13	Robert Half	$35,547	$17.09	61
   14	Avesta	$34,919	$16.79	1
   15	NAI Hiffman	$34,557	$16.61
   16	Colliers International	$34,492	$16.58	31
   17	ManpowerGroup	$34,171	$16.43	11
   18	Seattle Housing Authority	$34,107	$16.40
   19	Ardent Services	$34,023	$16.36
   20	Addison Group	$33,688	$16.20	2

4. Writing a property management assistant job description

   A job description for a property management assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a property management assistant job description:

   Property management assistant job description example

   Property Management Assistant – Philadelphia, PA This role serves as a critical operations assistant and will work across multiple property management functions. · Knowledge of property management functions · Answer multi-line telephone. · Clerical duties (copying, scanning, faxing, emailing) · Sending notices to tenants, vendors, etc · Ability to build rapport with clients, vendors, residents, etc · Answers inquiries by clarifying desired information; researching, locating, and providing information. · Receive inbound calls including transferred leads and calls from current and potential tenants. · Organizes work by reading and routing correspondence; collecting information; initiating telecommunications. · Completes requests by greeting customers, in person or on the telephone; answering or referring inquiries. · Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by safeguarding information. · Knowledgeable of telephone techniques · Clerical and administrative functions as assigned · Knowledgeable of Microsoft word, excel and basic computing functions · Maintain contact with all apartment locator services and local businesses to provide informational material. Update periodically. · Assist Management with administrative tasks as assigned · Responsible for proper maintenance of all files (electronic, etc) · Responsible for maintaining and updating calendars for various employees · Efficient and timely processing of all required administrative forms, reports and related information. · Responsible for maintaining a professional appearance and attitude at all times. · Assisting with hosting open houses, company events, and attending housing fairs as necessary · Assist prospects with securing a new home · Process applications as necessary

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find property management assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any property management assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level property management assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your property management assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit property management assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting property management assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new property management assistant

   Once you've found the property management assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new property management assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a property management assistant?