Leasing Consultant

Leasing Consultants at residential communities like Meridian at Sutton Square sit at the intersection of sales and hospitality. You're often the first person a prospective resident speaks to, and the last one they remember when deciding where to sign. That dual responsibility, converting traffic while keeping current residents happy, shapes everything about this role.

What You'll Actually Be Doing

Hawthorne calls this position a Leasing and Live It Specialist, which is a branded title but reflects something real: the expectation is that you bring genuine energy to both sides of the job. On the leasing side, you're conducting personalized tours, following up on phone, email, and web inquiries, processing applications and move-in paperwork, and working toward the community's occupancy and renewal goals. On the resident side, you're coordinating events, fielding concerns with patience, and keeping the office and common areas presentation-ready.

The schedule runs Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM, with Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. One weekday off per week keeps it at 40 hours, though resident events or community needs can occasionally require flexibility beyond the standard hours. That's worth knowing upfront.

You'll also assist with marketing and social media outreach, and you're expected to stay current on competing properties in the area. Raleigh's rental market is competitive, and knowing how Meridian at Sutton Square stacks up against nearby communities helps you have honest, confident conversations with prospects who are comparison shopping.

Who Tends to Succeed Here

One year of customer service, sales, or leasing experience is preferred, but it's not a hard requirement. A high school diploma or GED is the minimum education threshold. A CALP certification is a plus if you have it.

What separates strong candidates from average ones in a leasing role isn't just friendliness. It's the ability to read where a prospect is in their decision process and adjust accordingly, whether that's knowing when to push gently on a follow-up call or when to back off and let the apartment sell itself. People who can handle a busy Saturday afternoon, multiple walk-ins, ringing phones, and a renewal question from a current resident, without losing their composure, tend to do well here.

• Confident communicator across in-person, phone, and digital channels
• Comfortable with sales follow-up and objection handling without being pushy
• Genuinely service-oriented, not just professionally polite
• Coachable and open to learning Hawthorne's specific processes and culture
• Valid driver's license required

Compensation and Career Path

Beyond hourly pay, Leasing Consultants earn monthly commissions tied to new leases and renewals, plus access to leasing incentive programs. Hawthorne is a top-50 multifamily operator nationally with deep roots in the Southeast, and they maintain a formal career path program. The stated trajectory from this role is toward Assistant Community Manager, which is a meaningful step because it shifts you from leasing-focused work into broader operations including delinquency tracking, reporting, and vendor coordination. If you're looking to build a career in property management rather than just fill a position, that path is real and supported by an internal learning and development team.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401k with employer match, paid time off (including your birthday), paid parental and adoption leave, pet insurance, and company-paid life insurance, among others.