Onsite Leasing Agent - Lease-Up Specialist

Lease-Up Specialist Wanted: Townhome Build-to-Rent Community, Wilmington, NC

A growing owner-operator of build-to-rent communities is hiring a high-energy, results-driven Onsite Leasing Agent to lead lease-up efforts for a new townhome build-to-rent community in Wilmington, North Carolina.

This is not a stabilized-property leasing position. It is a lease-up mandate. The successful candidate will be the primary driver of traffic generation, tour conversion and closing velocity during the community’s initial fill period, and will continue to own leasing performance through stabilization.

This is a commission-eligible sales role for someone who thinks like a closer, not a gatekeeper.

•    Own the leasing funnel from first point of contact through signed lease: inquiry, tour, application, approval and move-in.

•    Drive lease-up pace against a defined absorption schedule and escalate pacing risk proactively.

•    Proactively source prospects beyond passive inbound leads: local business partnerships, community events, corporate relocation outreach, referral programs, social media presence and grassroots marketing specific to the Wilmington market.

•    Identify and test creative, low-cost traffic-driving tactics appropriate for a new community that does not have an established reputation yet.

•    Partner with the marketing and regional team to flag what is converting and what is not, in real time.

•    Convert tours into signed leases through a consultative, high-energy sales approach rather than order-taking.

•    Handle objections on price, timing and competing communities with confidence, and offer creative, policy-compliant solutions to get deals across the line.

•    Maintain accurate, timely CRM and guest card documentation on every prospect touchpoint.

•    Ensure every lease, application and screening decision complies with Fair Housing, FCRA and company policy.

•    Maintain licensure requirements and complete required continuing education.

•    Escalate any fair housing, applicant dispute or legally sensitive situation to the SVP of Operations immediately rather than resolving it independently.

•    Maintain model units, the leasing office and community common areas in show-ready condition at all times.

•    Coordinate with construction and turnover teams to ensure units are tour-ready and move-in-ready on schedule.

•    Provide regular leasing activity reports on a daily or weekly cadence: traffic, tours, applications, approvals, denials and closed leases.

•    Flag pacing gaps, competitive pricing intelligence and market feedback that could affect lease-up strategy.

Reports to the SVP of Operations.

Schedule: Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Onsite presence is required all five days, with no remote or hybrid flexibility during the lease-up phase. The schedule may require adjustment around move-in events, marketing pushes or leasing deadlines at management discretion.

•    Active North Carolina real estate license in good standing. This is a non-negotiable requirement for this position.

•    Minimum 2 years of lease-up-specific experience in new construction, build-to-rent or single-family and townhome rental lease-up. General stabilized-property leasing experience alone does not satisfy this requirement.

•    Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the greater Wilmington, NC area prior to start. This is a fully onsite role with no remote flexibility.

•    Working familiarity with the Wilmington, NC rental market: competitive set, pricing dynamics, seasonal demand patterns and local renter profile.

•    Comfort working in a fast-paced, target-driven, unstabilized-community environment.

•    Strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build rapport quickly with prospective residents.

•    Working knowledge of Fair Housing laws and the ability to lease in full compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

•    Reliable transportation and the ability to work the required weekend-inclusive schedule.

•    Yardi, for leasing, applications and reporting

•    HubSpot, for lead management and CRM follow-up

•    RingCentral, for phone and communications

•    Power BI, for leasing pacing dashboards and reporting

•    Experience with townhome product specifically, including multi-level unit tours and exterior and grounds presentation.

•    A history of exceeding leasing velocity goals in a commission-based structure.

•    An existing local network or referral relationships within the Wilmington market.

•    Familiarity with digital lead generation tools: ILS platforms, social media leasing campaigns and CRM follow-up systems.

•    Sales mentality: sees every tour as a closable deal, not a maybe.

•    Creativity: generates non-obvious ways to drive traffic to a community that has no brand recognition yet.

•    Urgency: operates with a lease-up clock in mind, because every vacant day carries a cost.

•    Resilience: handles rejection and slow weeks without losing momentum.

•    Judgment: knows the difference between creative and non-compliant, and escalates gray areas rather than guessing.

•    Ability to walk the community and show units multiple times daily, including exterior grounds and stairs, given townhome product.

•    Ability to work outdoors during tours in varying weather conditions.

This is a commission-eligible sales role. Compensation is a competitive hourly base commensurate with experience, plus a per-lease commission structure built to reward volume and speed-to-lease during the lease-up period. Specific base and commission figures are reviewed during the screening call.

Join our dynamic team and unlock a world of opportunities! We offer full-time hours with generous annual holiday pay and PTO. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your well-being. It includes medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, commuter accounts, health savings accounts, life and AD&D insurance, Disability, Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Identity Protection, Legal Services, and Pet Wellness.

Apply now and become a part of our successful team!

Kysin LLC is managing this search on behalf of the employer. All applications are received and reviewed by Kysin, and the hiring company is introduced during the screening process.