Leasing agents help rent out buildings, apartments, and homes. They must have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Leasing agents may work with short term or long term rentals, and they may work with residential or commercial properties. Their salary is often based on commission and how much they rent. The most important part of being a leasing agent is having strong knowledge of the real estate market.
Most of the day will be spent assisting possible tenants in seeing the property, recommending other properties as applicable, helping them tour the property, and working through signing the lease. Time management is extremely important in this field of work, and those wanting to become leasing agents should be personable and outgoing.
Sample job description
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for a leasing agent is $42,000 per year in the United States and $52,000 including a yearly bonus. Compensation will vary depending on experience, education, market conditions, and geographical location.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $41,750 | $56,500 |
| Los Angeles, California | $47,100 | $63,750 |
| Denver, Colorado | $39,250 | $53,150 |
| Washington, DC | $47,850 | $64,700 |
| Miami, Florida | $39,100 | $52,900 |
| Orlando, Florida | $36,050 | $48,800 |
| Tampa, Florida | $36,400 | $49,250 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $38,200 | $51,700 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $43,900 | $59,400 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $47,500 | $64,250 |
| Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota | $37,850 | $51,200 |
| New York City, New York | $50,000 | $67,600 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $40,700 | $55,050 |
| Dallas, Texas | $39,650 | $53,600 |
| Houston, Texas | $39,450 | $53,350 |
| Seattle, Washington | $45,700 | $61,800 |
| National Average | $35,700 | $48,300 |
Sample interview questions
- How do you manage to work under pressure when you have multiple deadlines to complete?
- What makes you a great candidate for this position?
- Do you enjoy sales?
- How do you answer questions from the tenants that you don’t know the answer to?
- Do you have any experience with commercial leasing?
- Have you ever had issues with a tenant? If so, how do you handle it?
- How are your negotiation skills?
- Why do you want to be a leasing agent?
- Do you have experience marketing the properties you’re leasing?
- How would you handle a situation where a resident has destroyed property intentionally?
- What is your process like when a tenant refuses to pay their rent?
