Business Development Associate

Position Summary : The Business Development Associate (BDA) owns new market penetration from the ground up, building the pipeline of property partnerships that pay Smart City for referrals. Reporting to the Director of Market Expansion, the BDA determines how to approach a market, decides which properties and property management companies to pursue and in what order, identifies decision makers, and secures meetings to present the Smart City value proposition. The BDA operates as Smart City's business development presence in a market where the company has no established footprint, and exercises independent judgment on territory strategy, prospect prioritization, and how the partnership case is made to each property.

While the role is primarily an office and non-manual role coordinating outreach and meetings, the BDA visits properties regularly and gets in front of senior leaders at property management companies (PMCs), so executive-level presence is essential. Once a property partnership is contracted, the BDA structures onboarding of the property for the market's agents and builds the case for why an agent would include the property on a list for their client. The BDA is accountable for the market penetration outcome, not only the activity that supports it.

Essential Functions:

Property Outreach and Partnership Development (Primary Focus)

• Own daily property outreach across the assigned market, determining which properties and communities to approach, in what sequence, and through which channel.
• Research and identify decision makers at properties and PMCs (property managers, regional managers, owners) and decide how to route and tailor outreach to each contact.
• Secure meetings for the Director of Market Expansion and for themselves to present the Smart City value proposition, who we are, the value we deliver, and why properties would want to partner with us.
• Develop and adapt the outreach cadences, talk tracks, and messaging used in the market, working from the Market Expansion playbook and refining it based on what the market responds to.

Market Presence and Property Visits

• Be the face of Smart City in a new market, representing the brand with professionalism in every interaction.
• Visit properties regularly to build relationships in person, strengthen partnerships, and uncover new opportunities.
• Present with executive-level presence when meeting senior leaders at PMCs, whether in scheduled appointments or on-site introductions.

Pitching and Partnership Development

• Pitch the Smart City value proposition in self-conducted meetings with properties, adapting the case to each prospect's priorities, portfolio, and objections.
• Prepare the Director for higher-level PMC conversations with prospect background, recommended approach, and meeting objectives.
• Advance prospects through the pitch-to-contract process, advising the Director on which opportunities to prioritize and what terms or concessions are worth pursuing.
• Assess which properties move the market penetration number fastest and allocate time and effort accordingly.

Partnership Onboarding and Agent Enablement

• Design and run onboarding for new property partnerships so each partnership is ready for the market's agents to use.
• Present to agents why they would want to include the property on a list for their client, covering partner details, incentives, and positioning.
• Stay engaged with onboarded partners to resolve issues, maintain visibility with agents, and identify where each partnership can be expanded.

Activity Tracking and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of all outreach, contacts, appointments, and pipeline status in the CRM.
• Report pipeline progress and market penetration status to the Director on a regular cadence, in support of reporting to the EVP and Brokerage leadership.
• Be agile and adjust execution strategies based on current business needs, assist with process review and improvement.
• Assist with efforts in other markets, as needed.
• All other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None. The BDA works through influence and partnership, coordinating with the Director on pipeline and strategy, with GMs and agents on partnership onboarding and enablement, and with prospective property partners and regional PMC contacts across the market.

Measures of Success (First 12 Months):

• Achieves property KPIs on schedule.
• The market is systematically introduced to Smart City, with outreach and meeting pace owned and managed by the BDA.
• A steady flow of qualified meetings is generated for the Director and the BDA, contributing to the market's penetration goal of properties contracted and compliant to pay for referrals.
• Property visits are consistent, and the BDA is recognized as the face of Smart City in the market.
• New property partnerships are cleanly onboarded for agents, and agents understand why to include partner properties on client lists.
• CRM records are accurate and current, and pipeline reporting to the Director is reliable.
• Trusted working relationships are established with the Director, GMs, agents, and property and PMC contacts.

Required Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree preferred.
• 1+ years in a sales, business development, or customer-facing role, or equivalent sales-type capacity.
• Track record of consistent outreach activity, meeting generation, or quota attainment preferred.
• Real estate, property management, or multifamily / PMC exposure is a plus, but not required.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for property visits.

Required Skills / Abilities:

• Strong outreach and meeting-generation skills, comfortable with daily prospecting by phone, email, and in person, and resilient through rejection.
• Ability to identify decision makers within properties and PMCs and tailor the approach accordingly.
• Executive-level presence when presenting and meeting new people, including senior leaders at PMCs.
• Excellent relationship-building with property managers, regional PMC contacts, and agents.
• Ability to present partner details, incentives, and positioning so agents understand why to lease at partner properties.
• Self-directed, high-ownership operator comfortable working independently in a new market and making judgment calls without daily direction.
• Strong organization and follow-through, able to manage a high volume of contacts, follow-ups, and meetings without letting anything slip.
• Experience using a CRM platform is preferred.
• Asana (or other project management software).
• Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, etc).
• Understanding of Mac OSX and iPhone iOS for business.
• An empathy-driven mindset with the desire to surprise and delight each client.
• Strong communication and active listening skills with the ability to handle feedback.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment where they get to try new things.

Physical Requirements:

• Hybrid role, primarily office and non-manual work coordinating outreach and meetings.
• Travel to and touring properties around the city is required on a regular basis.
• Requires the ability to remain in a stationary position and operate a computer for extended periods, and to travel between properties by car.
• Assures that safety regulations are followed at all times.
• Adherence to compliance measures implemented by governing bodies such as but not limited to OSHA & the CDC. Follows policies and procedures including infection control, universal precautions, and exposure control plans when performing daily tasks.
• Reports hazardous conditions, accidents, and incidents to the immediate supervisor.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping and crouching.

Expected Hours of Work:

• Typical business hours: 8:30am - 5:30pm Monday - Friday, with flexibility required to meet property partners' schedules, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Travel:

• Regular travel to properties within the assigned market.
• Minimal travel may be required for business functions, team training, and culture events.
• Travel to other markets may periodically be required.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Salary for this role is $61,700 annually.
• Eligibility for the Property Contract Growth Incentive, earned quarterly on net contracted properties. Target total cash compensation is $66,700, with a maximum of $81,700. Full detail is provided in the Property Contract Growth Incentive Plan.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan subject to plan terms.
• Eligibility for company-paid benefits such as company-paid and voluntary life insurance, short & long-term disability, and parental leave subject to applicable waiting periods.
• Flexible PTO.
• Company-Recognized Paid Holidays.
• Monthly cell phone stipend.

We Take Equality Seriously: Smart City is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and does not discriminate based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law, in connection with any aspect of employment at Smart City Locating.

Who We Are:

We are more than just an apartment locating company. We love what we do, and we work all the time because to us, it doesn't feel like work. We believe that professionalism is doing what you say you're going to do. We pride ourselves on teamwork, and we live for helping others. We get excited when faced with a tough challenge and go the extra mile to achieve our goals. We believe in quick communication, accessibility, transparency, and having fun while putting in good old fashioned hard work. We go above and beyond, we are hyper-personalized, and we make friends, not clients. You are not just another email address, and we are not just another real estate service. WE ARE SMART CITY!

Our values (H.O.N.O.R) need to resonate hardcore with you:

• Honor Bound - We do what we say we're going to do, and we don't need to wear a suit and tie to do it.
• Overachievers - We always go the extra mile.
• Never Settle - We are constantly striving for growth, both personally and professionally.
• Optimistic - We are a genuine force of positivity, not like rainbows and butterflies, but like, life is good.
• Real People - We treat everyone like friends, and we're real human beings who make mistakes sometimes. Let's learn from it and move forward.

Perks - you know you want 'em:

• Comprehensive and flexible health benefits plan including EAP
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Flex PTO, minimum of 10 days required each calendar year
• 12 Paid Holidays + 1 floating holiday!
• Monthly cell phone stipend
• Casual dress code
• A wide variety of office snacks and drinks provided complimentary
• Dog-friendly office with yummy treats
• Professional development and training opportunities