Accountant - Commercial Real Estate

Retail Property Management Accountant

The Retail Property Management Accountant is responsible for the financial administration, reporting, budgeting, expense recovery, reconciliation, and utility management functions for a portfolio of retail shopping centers. This position partners closely with Property Managers, the Lease & Tenant Coordinator, and the Accounting team to ensure the accuracy of tenant billings, operating expense recoveries, financial reporting, budgets, forecasts, and property accounting records.

The role serves as the primary resource for the billing and collection of Common Area Maintenance (CAM), real estate tax, insurance, and utility cost recoveries, while supporting operational decision-making through accurate and timely reporting.

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required.

3+ years of accounting experience, ideally in retail or commercial real estate/property management.

Working knowledge of CAM reconciliations, expense recoveries, and lease-driven billing (percentage rent, escalations, gross-ups).

Strong Excel skills; comfort working with large data sets and multi-property reporting.

Solid understanding of general and accrual accounting principles.

Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines across a multi-property portfolio.

Strong written and verbal communication skills for interaction with Property Management, ownership, and tenants.

Property management/accounting platform: Yardi & MRI

Microsoft Excel (required): Microsoft Office Suite

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Analysis

Review monthly property financial reporting packages and analyze operating results.

Working with accounting to resolve any discrepancies found.

Investigate any large variances with expenses and review with Property Management.

Reclassify expenses to maintain accurate financial records.

Assist with monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes.

Support ownership, lender, and management reporting requests.

Analyze trends in property operating expenses and identify opportunities for cost savings.

Budgeting & Forecasting

Assist Property Management in the preparation of annual operating budgets.

Assist with capital expenditure budgeting and project tracking.

Assist Property Management to update forecasts based on operational changes and projected expenditures.

Monitor budget performance and identify significant variances requiring corrective action.

CAM, Tax & Insurance Recoveries

Review annual CAM reconciliations for retail properties to ensure correct billings.

Review recoveries for real estate taxes, insurance, and operating expenses.

Work with Lease & Tenant Coordinator to confirm lease language and expenses on the reconciliations are both in line.

Work with Lease & Tenant Coordinator on answering questions from tenants regarding their reconciliations and recovery calculations.

Research and resolve CAM disputes in coordination with Property Management.

Maintain supporting documentation for all reconciliations and recovery billings.

Monitor recovery pools and gross-up calculations where applicable.

Utility Management & Recovery Audits

Manage utility billing and recovery programs across the portfolio.

Conduct periodic utility audits to identify billing omissions and revenue leakage.

Review utility invoices for accuracy and allocation.

Calculate and process tenant utility recoveries.

Work with Property Management to identify opportunities for additional utility reimbursement.

Maintain utility recovery schedules and supporting documentation.

Tenant Billing & Revenue Management

Generate miscellaneous tenant billings and adjustment invoices.

Review recurring charges established by the Lease & Tenant Coordinator for accuracy and consistency with lease requirements.

Ensure rent escalations, recovery billings, percentage rent charges, and other lease-related revenues are properly reflected within accounting systems.

Identify and correct billing discrepancies and missed revenue opportunities.

Prepare tenant account statements and outparcel statements as requested.

Assist in resolving account discrepancies, unapplied cash, credits, and prepayments.

Accounts Receivable Support

Partner with the Lease & Tenant Coordinator on delinquency resolution efforts.

Review aging reports and identify trends requiring management attention.

Research tenant account histories and supporting documentation for collection and legal purposes.

Assist with collection reporting and bad debt analysis.

Vendor & Expense Administration

Establish vendors in accounting systems and maintain vendor records.

Review invoices for proper coding and expense allocation on contracted services.

Ensure expenses are charged to the correct property and general ledger accounts.

Support Property Management with vendor payment inquiries and account reviews.

Property Management Support

Provide financial guidance to Property Management regarding recoveries, budgeting, and operating expenses.

Assist in evaluating service contracts, utility expenses, and controllable operating costs.

Support acquisition, disposition, and due diligence activities related to property financials.

Participate in special projects and portfolio analysis initiatives.