Leasing Specialist

Leasing Specialist

El Cerrito, CA

Brighthaven is proud to be recognized as one of the nation's leading property management organizations dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality housing for the workforce.

Cultivating the American Dream is the purpose that binds the Brighthaven team. Every day presents an opportunity to make a meaningful impact, whether by helping residents call our communities home, delivering excellence in customer service, or championing our workforce. We are committed to creating an unforgettable experience as a great place to live, work, and be.

Formed through the combined experience of Avanath Communities and BRIDGE Housing, Brighthaven Communities operates a rapidly expanding, multi-state portfolio of affordable and workforce housing communities across the United States. Our platform continues to grow through strategic acquisitions and operational excellence, reflecting our long-term commitment to stability, scale, and service.

The Leasing Stabilization Specialist is a key leasing and sales role designed to support lease-up communities and properties experiencing occupancy, marketing, or leasing challenges. This position requires a highly motivated leasing professional with strong closing skills, creativity, disciplined follow-up, and the ability to generate qualified traffic through outreach and relationship building.

This role is not limited to traditional onsite leasing activity. The incumbent is expected to proactively identify opportunities to increase traffic, convert prospects into residents, strengthen resident retention, and support communities that need additional leasing momentum. After supporting a lease-up assignment, this position may be deployed to other properties within the portfolio that require leasing stabilization support.

The individual in this role must possess a high degree of professionalism and positive engagement for our residents and the workforce.

Qualifications

• Passion for providing exceptional customer service and creating positive resident and prospect experience.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of multifamily leasing, sales, hospitality, or customer relations experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success in lease-up, high-volume leasing, occupancy recovery, or challenging property environments strongly preferred.
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, HUD, affordable housing, or mixed-income housing experience highly desired.
• Strong sales, negotiation, objection-handling, and closing skills.
• Ability to develop outreach relationships and represent the community professionally in the local market.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can work independently with limited supervision.
• Flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, community events, and portfolio support assignments.
• Solid computer knowledge, including Microsoft Word, Excel, internet, email, and property management systems.
• Working knowledge of Yardi Voyager Property Management Software preferred.
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel to assigned communities as business needs require.

Key Accountabilities

Lease-Up, Occupancy Growth & Sales

• Support lease-up communities by driving traffic, tours, applications, approvals, and move-ins.
• Understand the community's occupancy goals, rents, availability, and leasing needs; track progress and communicate results to leadership.
• Proactively manage the sales process by converting prospect leads into leases and assisting with move-ins, lease renewals, and resident transitions.
• Professionally present and educate prospective residents on layouts, amenities, features, community benefits, and the surrounding neighborhood.
• Maintain disciplined follow-up with prospects who do not immediately lease and continue efforts to convert the sale.
• Review traffic, guest cards, online inquiries, and leasing activity to identify opportunities for stronger conversion.
• Provide input on pricing, concessions, outreach efforts, and promotional strategies based on market feedback and leasing performance.

Outreach & Market Development

• Develop and maintain relationships with local employers, housing agencies, schools, community organizations, relocation sources, and other referral partners.
• Participate in housing fairs, community events, networking opportunities, and local outreach activities to generate qualified leads.
• Create and execute outreach strategies that increase visibility, build community awareness, and support leasing goals.
• Track outreach activity and report which efforts are producing traffic, applications, and move-ins.
• Identify creative ways to drive traffic beyond standard advertising and inbound lead response.

Portfolio Stabilization Support

• Support communities experiencing leasing challenges, staffing gaps, high vacancy, weak traffic, or low conversion.
• Assess leasing activity, prospect follow-up, tour experience, and outreach practices to identify performance improvement opportunities.
• Partner with onsite teams to improve lead management, customer response, sales execution, and move-in readiness coordination.
• Share best practices and model effective leasing behaviors for onsite team members through hands-on partnership.
• Maintain flexibility to support multiple communities as portfolio needs change.

Customer Service & Resident Retention

• At all times, provide A+ customer service to prospects, applicants, residents, vendors, and team members.
• Ensure prospects and residents receive timely, professional, and accurate communication throughout the leasing and move-in process.
• Assist in monitoring, distributing, and following up on renewal notices as assigned.
• Partner with the Community Manager and service team to ensure apartments, models, common areas, and amenities are presentable and aligned with company standards.
• Support resident retention by promoting positive interactions, timely follow-up, and a strong sense of community.

Administration & Compliance

• Record telephone, online, and in-person visits accurately and timely in company systems.
• Process applications, leasing documentation, deposits, approvals, move-in paperwork, and resident files in accordance with company procedures.
• Input information into Yardi and other company systems accurately and on a timely basis.
• Conduct business in accordance with company policies, Fair Housing, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and all relevant federal, state, and local laws.
• Meet compliance and eligibility requirements as established by the appropriate local, state, and/or federal agencies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Performance Expectations

• Demonstrate measurable progress toward occupancy, traffic, application, and move-in goals.
• Maintain strong prospect follow-up and conversion practices.
• Build effective outreach partnerships that generate qualified leasing traffic.
• Operate with urgency, professionalism, and accountability in challenging leasing environments.
• Provide clear updates to leadership regarding activity, barriers, recommended solutions, and expected results.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

• As essential staff, the incumbent is expected to adhere to all safety and business protocols.
• Frequently sitting, standing, walking, touring apartments, and walking community grounds.
• Travel within the assigned region and to other business offices, communities, or events may be required.
• Repetitive use of computer, keyboard, mouse, phone, and other communication devices.
• May work in elevated sites, walk on uneven ground, and occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Occasional squatting, bending, twisting, pushing, pulling, and lifting up to fifteen pounds.

We recognize that our teams are at the foundation of our success and growth, and we are committed to showing our appreciation.

We offer:

• Culture Built on Purpose and Core Values - A Commitment to Integrity, A Spirit of Caring, and A Focus on Continuous Improvement.
• Comprehensive Benefits health, dental & vision, 401(k), personal time off, paid holidays and more!
• Growth is based on achievement and an emphasis on promoting from within our ranks versus just external candidates.
• Development a commitment to creating opportunities to learn and expand your knowledge in the industry, from online training platforms to training classes to one-on-one coaching.

Diversity & Inclusion

Brighthaven is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have, and Diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DEI") are at the very core of Bright