What Does a Leasing Consultant Do?
Leasing consultants work in the office of an apartment community, showing units and turning prospects into signed leases. They answer calls, emails and online inquiries, give tours of model and vacant units, explain rent, fees and lease terms, and walk applicants through screening. Once someone is approved, they prepare the lease, collect deposits and schedule the move-in. Between tours they follow up with prospects, help current residents with renewals and complaints, and keep the availability list current in property management software such as Yardi.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Salesperson, Realtor, Realtor Associate, Sales Agent.
Leasing Consultant Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a leasing consultant include:
- Answer phone calls, emails and online listing inquiries promptly and book tours.
- Lead tours of the model, amenities and available units, pointing out features that match what the prospect said they need.
- Quote rent, fees, deposits and move-in specials accurately from the current pricing sheet.
- Process rental applications, run credit and background screenings, and verify income and rental history.
- Apply the same screening criteria to every applicant and follow fair housing rules in every conversation and ad.
- Prepare leases, addenda and move-in paperwork, and review key terms with the new resident before signing.
- Collect deposits and first month's rent and record payments in Yardi or the property's management software.
- Follow up with prospects who toured but did not apply, and track traffic and conversions for the property manager.
- Walk vacant units before showings and report cleaning or maintenance problems.
- Send renewal offers, answer resident questions, and post listings and photos on rental sites and social media.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a leasing consultant, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Solid working knowledge of the federal Fair Housing Act and any state or local protected classes
- Proficiency in Yardi or similar property management software for applications, leases and payments
- Accurate lease paperwork, since a mistake in rent or dates turns into a dispute later
- Friendly follow-up on calls and emails that does not sound scripted
- Comfort asking for the application at the end of a tour
- Taking listing photos and writing short unit descriptions, with quick graphics in Canva
- Patience with residents who come in upset about maintenance or noise, and the habit of logging every request
- An industry leasing designation from an apartment trade association, which some employers sponsor
Education and Training
Most leasing consultants are hired with a high school diploma or GED, which about 43 percent of workers in the broader real estate sales occupation report, and experience in retail, hotels or restaurants carries over well. Training is mostly on the job and covers the property's software, screening criteria, lease forms and, above all, fair housing law. In most states on-site leasing staff employed by the owner or management company do not need a real estate license, though rules differ by state, so check yours. Apartment trade associations offer leasing designations that combine coursework and an exam, and many consultants later move into assistant property manager roles.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $40,040 - $82,020 per year, with a median of $52,830.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Real Estate Sales Agents.
Leasing consultants benefit from the strong and growing rental market in the United States, where renter households continue to increase. New apartment construction and the expansion of build-to-rent communities are creating additional leasing positions. Properties that invest in well-trained leasing teams consistently outperform competitors in occupancy and resident retention. Consultants who develop expertise in digital marketing, virtual tours, and CRM technology will have the best prospects for advancement into property management roles.
Leasing Consultant Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $32,970 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $40,040 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $52,830 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $82,020 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $123,590 |
Highest-Paying States for Leasing Consultants
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($123,770), New York ($102,990), New Jersey ($99,990), Alaska ($89,170), Nevada ($79,990). Pay is lowest in Kansas ($39,770), Mississippi ($39,550), Arkansas ($38,180).
Median pay in all 48 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,890 |
| Alaska | $89,170 |
| Arizona | $58,780 |
| Arkansas | $38,180 |
| California | $57,560 |
| Colorado | $63,670 |
| Connecticut | $46,770 |
| Delaware | $47,180 |
| District of Columbia | $123,770 |
| Florida | $49,310 |
| Georgia | $46,730 |
| Hawaii | $46,220 |
| Idaho | $39,820 |
| Illinois | $59,220 |
| Indiana | $46,880 |
| Kansas | $39,770 |
| Kentucky | $58,610 |
| Louisiana | $45,850 |
| Maine | $56,930 |
| Maryland | $52,630 |
| Michigan | $57,880 |
| Minnesota | $46,410 |
| Mississippi | $39,550 |
| Missouri | $43,960 |
| Montana | $79,100 |
| Nebraska | $47,240 |
| Nevada | $79,990 |
| New Hampshire | $57,620 |
| New Jersey | $99,990 |
| New Mexico | $76,170 |
| New York | $102,990 |
| North Carolina | $51,240 |
| North Dakota | $73,920 |
| Ohio | $46,240 |
| Oklahoma | $47,980 |
| Oregon | $61,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,040 |
| Rhode Island | $60,310 |
| South Carolina | $56,580 |
| South Dakota | $65,170 |
| Tennessee | $46,250 |
| Texas | $45,740 |
| Utah | $50,720 |
| Virginia | $63,980 |
| Washington | $79,130 |
| West Virginia | $59,050 |
| Wisconsin | $58,120 |
| Wyoming | $49,990 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as real estate sales agents about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 95% are on the phone every day
- 76% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 76% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 67% have a lot of freedom to make decisions
- 62% work against deadlines every day
- 58% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 43% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 24% |
| Less than high school | 10% |
| Some college | 10% |
Tools and Software Leasing Consultants Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Critical Thinking.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language, Law and Government, Administrative.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Leasing Consultant Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 41-9022.00 (Real Estate Sales Agents). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.