Franchise Director of Real Estate

Role Description

The Franchise Director of Real Estate is responsible for leading the company's franchise real estate strategy by assisting franchisees in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and securing optimal locations for new franchise businesses. This position partners closely with Franchise Development, Operations, Construction, and external real estate professionals to ensure franchise growth objectives are met while maintaining brand standards and market strategy.

The ideal candidate has extensive commercial real estate experience, strong negotiation skills, and a deep understanding of site selection, lease negotiations, and franchise development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Real Estate Strategy & Site Selection
  • Develop and execute the company's real estate strategy to support franchise growth goals.
  • Partner with franchise development to identify target markets based on demographic and market analysis.
  • Assist franchisees with market planning and territory evaluation.
  • Conduct site selection analysis using demographic, traffic, and competitive data.
  • Review Letters of Intent (LOIs), leases, and site plans for compliance with company standards.
  • Own the Real Estate Committee process: assemble and present site acceptance packages, and drive a consistent, predictable acceptance cadence.
  • Recommend acceptance or rejection of prospective locations.
  • Continuously improve and standardize site-selection, negotiation, and committee-approval processes and documentation.
• Franchisee Support
  • Serve as the primary real estate advisor throughout the franchise site selection and lease negotiation processes.
  • Educate franchisees on the company's real estate process, timeline, and expectations at each stage of development.
  • Coordinate with franchisees, commercial brokers, landlords, attorneys, architects, and contractors.
  • Manage expectations and maintain regular communication throughout the development process.
• Lease Negotiations
  • Provide negotiation support to franchise partners for favorable lease terms and tenant improvement allowances.
  • Review lease language and coordinate with legal counsel as needed.
  • Ensure lease agreements align with company standards and franchise requirements.
  • Assist franchisees with lease renewals, relocations, and expansions.
• Market Analysis
  • Research emerging markets and evaluate opportunities for expansion.
  • Monitor commercial real estate trends, rental rates, and competitive activity.
  • Prepare pipeline, conversion, and development metric reports for executive leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Construction and Design teams to ensure sites meet operational requirements.
  • Partner with Operations to ensure locations support long-term business success.
  • Partner with Finance on real estate forecasting and budgeting.
  • Partner with Franchise Development to improve conversion timelines.
• Vendor & Broker Management
  • Develop and maintain relationships with national and regional commercial real estate brokers.
  • Establish preferred vendor relationships.
  • Attend ICSC Conferences and other related real estate conferences and events.
  • Evaluate broker performance and market coverage.
• Reporting & Compliance
  • Track all real estate projects through the development pipeline.
  • Maintain accurate project documentation and timelines.
  • Prepare reports on development metrics, site approvals, lease execution, and project status.
  • Ensure compliance with franchise agreements and corporate standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Finance, or related field preferred.
• 7–10 years of commercial real estate experience.
• Franchise or multi-unit retail/service industry experience preferred.
• Experience with lease negotiations and LOI preparation.
• Knowledge of demographic analysis and market planning.
• Strong understanding of retail site selection.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Strong project management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple development projects simultaneously.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and CRM/project management software.
• Ability to travel up to 40%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Commercial real estate brokerage experience.
• Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) or similar designation preferred.
• Existing network of national commercial real estate brokers.
• Experience supporting franchise development organizations.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Negotiation
• Commercial Real Estate Expertise
• Franchise Development
• Relationship Management
• Project Management
• Financial Acumen
• Market Analysis
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Collaboration
• Performance Metrics

Performance Metrics

• Number of franchise locations opened annually.
• Average time from franchise sale to signed lease.
• Site approval turnaround time.
• Lease negotiation savings and tenant improvement incentives.
• Franchisee satisfaction.
• Development pipeline accuracy.
• New market expansion success.
• Percentage of projects completed on schedule.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to travel extensively by air and automobile.
• Ability to attend site visits, construction meetings, and franchise conferences.
• Ability to work remotely and in an office environment as needed.

Benefits

• Health insurance with company contribution
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Company Paid Life and Disability
• 401k plan with company match
• Free wellness services for your dog
• Energetic, fun, loving work environment
• Unlimited growth potential with an expanding business

This is a remote position.