How to hire a real estate office manager

How to hire a real estate office manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate office 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 office manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate office manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The real estate office 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?

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   Hiring the perfect real estate office manager 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of real estate office managers.

   Type of Real Estate Office Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Office 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.	$30-78
   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
   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... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Customer Service
   • Expense Reports
   • Property Management
   • Office Management
   • Real Estate Transactions
   • MLS
   • Office Operations
   • Escrow
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Open Houses
   • Office Equipment
   • Financial Reports
   • Travel Arrangements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage AR, AP, banking and budget reports.
   • Spearhead weekly team meetings with VA s via Skype to discuss progress of in house projects and MLS leads.
   • Manage segment's treasury function including equity forecasting and investment requests as well as lender relations in a difficult banking environment.
   • Maintain, create and update property listings via company website MLS and FMLS.
   • Provide administrative management of a portfolio of assign commercial real estate loans in accordance with credit policy requirements for risk management.
   • Review AP and direct which checks to be issue.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, real estate office managers' average salary in hawaii is 49% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level real estate office managers earn 62% less than senior-level real estate office managers.
   • Certifications. A real estate office 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 office manager's salary.

   Average real estate office manager salary

   $101,880yearly

   $48.98 hourly rate

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   Entry-level real estate office manager salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a real estate office manager job description

   A good real estate office 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 office manager job description:

   Real estate office manager job description example

   Osborne Homes was founded in 2007 with its first office in Fresno. As real estate investors, we have extensive experience in professionally assessing a property's value in any given market. Our highly qualified team is dedicated to helping homeowners sell their property for cash, fairly and quickly. We have purchased, rehabbed, and sold over 2,500 properties in California. Our main office is now in Orange County, CA but in early 2020 we decided to go to a 100% work from home model and we plan to stay that way!

   We exist to provide a best-in-class home buying experience for sellers looking for a non-traditional home selling solution.

   Our Culture is rooted in our core values

   • Open-mindedness: We commit to being open to feedback, change and self-improvement
   • Urgency: We pursue opportunities with decisive and urgent action
   • Accountability: We do what we say, when we say
   • Transparency: We are transparent with colleagues and customers alike
   • Innovation: We ask ourselves and others, "what does better look like?"

   Some great reasons to work here include:

   • Supportive team culture
   • Professional development and mentorship
   • Clarity of role & expectations
   • Open door atmosphere to share feedback with peers & leadership
   • Fast-paced environment that keeps highly, self-motivated individuals challenged
   • Growing company that offers opportunities for personal & professional growth
   • Working with an amazing, diverse, transparent and innovative group of people
   • Flexible work options for you to do your best work from where you are

   Our Perks & Benefits

   • Highly Competitive Compensation
   • Comprehensive Benefits Package Offerings - medical, dental, vision, supplemental, STD, LTD, FSA, legal & more!
   • Employer-paid Life Insurance
   • 401k Plan + Matching
   • Monthly Remote Office Stipend
   • Your Birthday Off – take a day off during your birthday week or on your birthday for some "YOU" celebration.
   • Career Development Opportunities

   Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

   We value transparency; therefore, Osborne Homes may not be for you if:

   • You love being in-office surrounded by your co-workers
   • You like to be comfortable and do not like change
   • You favor a work environment where everything has been built
   • You prefer others to figure things out rather than taking the initiative to find solutions
   • You are OK with "good enough" vs. always striving for extraordinary

   Our application process requires all candidates to complete our Predictive Index assessments to be considered.

   About the Opportunity:

   The Real Estate Operations Manager will be responsible for leading all development, administrative and compliance functions for the brokerage division for Osborne Homes from inception to completion.

   Your Responsibilities Include:

   • Exhibit and uphold Osborne Homes' core values of open-mindedness, urgency, accountability, transparency, and innovation at all times.
   • Align with Osborne Homes strategic plans and goals to determine brokerage operation needs and long-term objectives.
   • Oversee daily operations including the ownership of transaction, coordinator, and escrow duties for the business.
   • Supervise responsibilities, liabilities, and obligations with relation to the day-to-day activities of licensed agents.
   • Responsible for maintaining and leading agents through compliance with DRE regulations; ensure agents remain compliant with licensing requirements; and oversee and manage complaints.

   About You (Qualifiications):

   • California Real Estate License required (min 2 yrs. full-time experience).
   • 5 years' min experience in real estate operations, sales and or related field.
   • Ability to be the Company's designated manager with the Department of Real Estate.
   • Experience managing team of agents is strongly preferred.
   • Knowledge of real estate practices.

   Osborne Homes is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate our inclusive work environment and encourage candidates with all backgrounds and perspectives to apply. We are committed to having an inclusive and transparent environment where every voice is heard and acknowledged. We embrace our differences and know that our diverse team is a strength to drive our success.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right real estate office manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with real estate office managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit real estate office managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit real estate office managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 office manager

   Once you've selected the best real estate office manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new real estate office 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.)

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