Insights

Hiring leasing agents who actually close.

EK

By Erica Kolodny

Senior Talent Consultant · July 2026

Every leasing resume says strong communicator. Very few say how many units they leased, at what rent, and how many of those residents were still there a year later.

The short version

• Leasing is a sales job with a compliance layer, and most hiring processes screen for neither.
• Occupancy is the obvious metric. Renewal rate a year later is the honest one.
• Affordable and market-rate leasing are different jobs with different paperwork.
• The strongest signal is how a candidate handles a prospect who does not qualify.

Leasing is a sales role that nobody screens like one

A leasing agent controls the top of your revenue funnel. They answer the inquiry, run the tour, handle the objection, and get the application over the line. That is sales, and it should be screened like sales: ask for numbers.

How many units did you lease in a typical month? What was your closing rate on tours? How did you follow up with someone who toured and did not apply? Candidates who have really performed answer immediately. Candidates who processed traffic describe their duties instead.

The compliance layer changes the job

In affordable housing, leasing is not purely sales. Income qualification, waitlist rules, and preference categories govern who can move in, and an agent who treats it as a numbers game creates real exposure.

Ask directly whether they have leased affordable units, which programs, and how they handled a prospect who did not qualify. The answer separates people fast. Handled well, it is a respectful conversation and a documented file. Handled badly, it is a fair housing problem.

Screen for the year-later number

Occupancy at move-in is easy to hit if you are not selective. The number that reflects a good agent is how many of those residents renewed. Ask candidates whether they know their renewal rate, and expect the good ones to have an opinion about it even if they never had the report.

This matters more in New York than most markets, because turnover costs here are high and a rushed placement that leaves in eight months erases the value of filling the unit quickly.

What to fix in your own process

Pay structure that punishes selectivity. If commission is purely per lease with no renewal component, you have told the agent that anyone who signs is a win. Do not then be surprised by turnover.

Vague coverage expectations. Leasing happens on weekends. Discovering that after the offer is how these hires end early.

Skipping the tour test. Ask a candidate to walk you through a unit as though you were a prospect. Ten minutes tells you more than the rest of the interview.

Frequently asked questions

What should a leasing agent be paid in New York?

It varies widely by portfolio type and whether commission is included. Market-rate leasing in Manhattan pays differently from affordable housing leasing in the outer boroughs, and total compensation depends heavily on the commission structure. We can benchmark against your specific portfolio.

Is affordable housing leasing different from market rate?

Yes, meaningfully. Income qualification, waitlists, and preference rules govern eligibility, so the agent needs to understand compliance alongside sales. Someone excellent at market-rate leasing can transition, but it is a genuine learning curve.

How do I reduce leasing agent turnover?

Set realistic expectations about weekend coverage during hiring, structure commission so renewals matter and not just move-ins, and give agents enough support that they are not also handling maintenance calls and resident complaints.

Should leasing roles be contract or permanent?

Lease-up projects and seasonal surges suit contract or contract to hire well. Ongoing leasing for a stabilized portfolio is usually a permanent hire, since resident relationships carry value over time.