How to hire a real estate manager

How to hire a real estate manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate manager hiring guide:

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

What does a real estate manager do?

Post a real estate manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The real estate manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a real estate manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a real estate manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents real estate manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Real Estate Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Manager	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.	$27-62
   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... Show more	$12-19
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Analysis
   • Property Management
   • Project Management
   • Oversight
   • Due Diligence
   • Customer Service
   • Real Estate Portfolio
   • Property Inspections
   • Landlords
   • Cam
   • Asset Management
   • Lease Terms
   • Site Selection
   • Yardi

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the submittal of all require documents for construction NTP.
   • Lead SEO efforts for primary corporate site, improving organic and paid traffic.
   • Coordinate and manage the NEPA, SHPO, FAA and FCC approval process.
   • Manage $20M budget and all fiscal functions including payroll, A/R, and A/P.
   • Manage and own the entire process from issue of RFDS to obtaining NTP from tower owner.
   • Manage leasing process of market price, tax credit, public housing programs as well as HUD apartments.

   More real estate manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your real estate manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A real estate manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, real estate managers' average salary in georgia is 43% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level real estate managers earn 55% less than senior-level real estate managers.
   • Certifications. A real estate manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a real estate manager's salary.

   Average real estate manager salary

   $86,874yearly

   $41.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level real estate manager salary

   $58,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average real estate manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$108,590	$52
   2	New York	$104,485	$50
   3	California	$102,832	$49
   4	Washington	$102,158	$49
   5	Oregon	$97,791	$47
   6	Ohio	$97,748	$47
   7	Massachusetts	$93,598	$45
   8	North Carolina	$90,849	$44
   9	Maine	$87,835	$42
   10	Virginia	$87,126	$42
   11	District of Columbia	$87,015	$42
   12	Nevada	$85,362	$41
   13	Illinois	$84,600	$41
   14	Arizona	$82,265	$40
   15	Michigan	$81,206	$39
   16	Pennsylvania	$79,210	$38
   17	Texas	$78,731	$38
   18	Maryland	$78,701	$38
   19	Minnesota	$78,105	$38
   20	Wisconsin	$75,910	$37

   Average real estate manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$153,950	$74.01
   2	Accenture	$133,900	$64.38	40
   3	Pwc	$126,397	$60.77	420
   4	Ernst & Young	$125,958	$60.56	702
   5	Google	$125,287	$60.23
   6	Apple	$125,231	$60.21	2
   7	Tradeweb	$124,599	$59.90
   8	Lord Abbett	$119,963	$57.67
   9	Grant Thornton	$119,732	$57.56	7
   10	Janssen	$117,683	$56.58
   11	Deutsche Bank	$116,676	$56.09	8
   12	RSM US	$114,939	$55.26	36
   13	Deloitte	$114,356	$54.98	86
   14	Bed Bath & Beyond	$113,878	$54.75
   15	Capital Group	$113,254	$54.45
   16	Santander Private Banking International	$109,785	$52.78
   17	Amazon	$109,496	$52.64	12
   18	Ross Stores	$108,953	$52.38	9
   19	Haskell & White	$108,213	$52.03
   20	Michaels Stores	$106,312	$51.11

4. Writing a real estate manager job description

   A good real estate manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a real estate manager job description:

   Real estate manager job description example

   BAE Systems is seeking an exceptional, Program Manager for an exciting opportunity to support the Air Force's acquisition of the next generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system, known as the Sentinel ICBM Program.
   About Sentinel (formerly GBSD)?
   The Sentinel Program is an enormous and complex "Mega-Project" modernizing the entire ICBM weapon system deployed across tens of thousands of square miles in five states. Without a doubt, Sentinel is one of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) most important acquisition efforts for the next decade. It includes a complete refurbishment or replacement of hundreds of aging Minuteman III ICBM facilities to secure and support a newly designed, technologically advanced ballistic missile. It will also provide an entirely new command and control system as well as vast array of required support equipment specifically engineered to operate and sustain the new weapon system over the decades ahead. Sentinel is one of the DoD's newest official "programs of record," having recently achieved Acquisitions Milestone B and enjoys broad, strong support at the national level. It is a long-term project with the weapon system anticipated to deploy over a nine-year period beginning in 2026 and remaining operational until at least 2075. Sentinel is a career defining program that will present unique and challenging opportunities that are simply not available with smaller projects.
   
   The Role
   BAE Systems is looking for a Real Estate Project Manager to support Planning, Programming and Design activities to construct and convert facilities needed to support Sentinel at the Malmstrom Program Management Office in Montana. Daily responsibilities include supporting the government Sentinel customer as a Real Estate Project Manager having action officer responsibility to support real estate planning, programming and status monitoring across Montana. This position will interact with various state and federal agencies by coordinating and administering the programs real estate needs to provide acquisition and management of real estate on behalf of the Program and the United States Air Force.
   
   Who You Are
   You are an experience and skilled leader, willing to meet challenges fearlessly and balance mission priorities across your team while successfully maintaining personnel and customer relationships: You thrive in a fast-paced environment You are a collaborator and love working with a greater team to further the organization's higher-level goals and objectives You are customer-oriented and always try to anticipate the customer's needs and work hard to exceed their expectations #ASFS
   
   Required Education, Experience, & Skills
   7 yrs technical experience (5yrs with MS) Experience which includes applying applicable real estate regulations Familiarity with real property interests: leasing, acquisition, disposal and/or management of out-grants Has developed and work with an Acquisition Strategy Experience with Government contracts Experience working in a collaborative, multi-discipline team environment, able to define strategic goals, plan operations and implement tactical customer guidance with minimal day-to-day guidance Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills Act as a servant-leader and facilitator to support teams in the day-to-day operation Experience with lean-agile practices Must be able to obtain Secret (or higher) security clearance
   Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
   Bachelor's degree in a Real Estate, Business or Financial Management, Accounting or related field Active Secret clearance, Ability to obtain Top Secret Contract Management Familiarity with Agile Mindset and continuous process improvement Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
   About BAE Systems Intelligence & Security
   BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it's what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts - defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team-making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you'll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.
   
   Intelligence & Security (I&S), based in McLean, Virginia, designs and delivers advanced defense, intelligence, and security solutions that support the important missions of our customers. Our pride and dedication shows in everything we do-from intelligence analysis, cyber operations and IT expertise to systems development, systems integration, and operations and maintenance services. Knowing that our work enables the U.S. military and government to recognize, manage and defeat threats inspires us to push ourselves and our technologies to new levels.
   
   Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
   At BAE Systems, we work hard every day to nurture an inclusive culture where employees are valued and feel like they belong. We are conscious of the need for all employees to see themselves reflected at every level of the company and know that in order to unlock the full potential of our workforce, everyone must feel confident being their best, most sincere self and be equipped to thrive. We provide impactful professional development experiences to our employees and invest in social impact partnerships to uplift communities and drive purposeful change. Here you will find significant opportunities to do meaningful work in an environment intentionally designed to be one where you will learn, grow and belong.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find real estate managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your real estate manager job on Zippia to find and recruit real estate manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit real estate managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 real estate manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the real estate manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new real estate manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a real estate manager?