Property Manager

FLATS has built its reputation on a particular idea: that urban apartment living should feel intentional, not generic. The company operates lifestyle-driven communities where design, technology, and resident experience are treated as core product features, not afterthoughts. The Property Manager they're hiring in Chicago will be the person responsible for making that philosophy operational, on the ground, every day.

This is a lease-up role. If you've managed a stabilized asset, you know the rhythm of renewals, retention, and steady-state NOI management. Lease-up is a different discipline. You're building occupancy from scratch, which means pricing strategy, concessions decisions, and traffic conversion matter enormously in the early months. You'll work closely with leadership to set and adjust leasing strategy, communicate progress and risks to ownership, and keep the team executing at a pace that stabilized communities rarely require. The ability to read your T-3 and T-12 trends and translate them into action, quickly, is what separates strong candidates from those who struggle in this environment.

On the financial side, you'll own budget participation, expense control, and monthly financial review. You'll approve vendor invoices, coordinate with accounting, and monitor collections, deposits, and fees with attention to detail. Chicago's landlord-tenant regulatory environment adds a layer of complexity here: this role requires working knowledge of Illinois landlord-tenant law, Fair Housing requirements, ADA compliance, and FCRA standards. If those frameworks are already familiar to you, you'll spend your energy applying them, rather than learning them under pressure.

The operations side covers the full scope of a multifamily community: unit readiness, make-ready coordination, punch list completion, preventive maintenance schedules, and service request resolution. You'll also recruit, train, and manage your onsite team, which means performance management, coaching, and building a staff culture that aligns with what FLATS actually promises residents.

An Illinois Real Estate License is required. Prior lease-up or new construction experience is a firm expectation, and familiarity with Yardi Voyager or comparable property management software will matter from day one.

What this role requires vs. what it builds

• Requires: lease-up experience, IL Real Estate License, working knowledge of Chicago landlord-tenant law, financial reporting literacy, team leadership, and property management software proficiency
• Builds: deeper comfort with lease-up strategy at a brand-driven operator, owner-facing communication skills, and experience managing a community where design and resident experience are differentiated product features rather than table stakes

For a property manager looking to move toward a regional or portfolio-level role, a successful lease-up at a quality operator like FLATS is exactly the kind of credential that opens those doors. Bilingual Spanish is a plus given Chicago's resident demographics, though it's not a requirement. Compensation is $85,000 to $100,000 with a performance bonus, plus medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with employer match, and PTO.