by Erin Ellison
Real estate is a dynamic industry that offers many career opportunities. But many people are only aware of the title real estate broker and agent, and there are many other opportunities out there in the business depending on your interests—with or without a real estate agent or broker’s license.
Real estate staffing opportunities include both residential and commercial as well as roles in leasing, repairing, constructing, managing, lending, and more. From managing a few properties for real estate investors to overseeing operations on vast commercial properties, real estate careers can help you leverage a spectrum of skills from hands-on repair to keep the essential services up and running to project management or even finance and contracts.
Here are a few of the many real estate career options, with a summary of job duties and the salary range for each position,
Property Appraisers and Assessors
Property appraisers and assessors provide a value estimate on real estate and on tangible personal and business property. They are a key part of the purchase process since, before a bank makes a loan on a property, they will likely want third-party verification that it is worth what the buyer is planning to pay.
Some appraisers work for independent companies, while others work directly for a lending institution. In either case, they typically visit a property and verify its condition as well review comparable properties in the area and analyze value being assigned before the bank moves forward with the financing.
Salary Range: $35,520 to $120,790; Employment of property appraisers and assessors is projected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Title Examiner
For those who choose this job, meticulous attention to detail and research know-how will be essential. Title examiners research public and private records for law firms or real estate agents or title insurance companies to discover mortgages or contracts related to the property. This can include documents relating to ownership like deeds, liens, power of attorney, trust documents, divorce decrees, and marriage licenses.
Salary range: $39,846 and $55,165
Construction and Building Inspectors
Construction and building inspectors examine and test properties, either during construction or the sale. They ensure compliance, make sure components are up to code, and document their findings—often using specialized software that helps them record what they see and generate reports.
Salary Range: $38,110 to $100,520; About 14,800 openings for construction and building inspectors are projected each year, on average, from 2021 to 2031, primarily from retirement of current workers.
Interior Designer or Home Stager
Interior designers and home stagers work to make indoor and outdoor spaces beautiful, functional, and comfortable through a variety of means. They might draft and share blueprints of a space in partnership with an architectural firm. Some will design and select decorative and functional items such as colors, lighting, and materials. As a home stager, they may be brought in specifically to decorate the spaces in a home to help it appeal to more buyers.
They often must be aware of building codes, regulations, and other considerations, such as accessibility requirements and standards dependent on commercial or residential needs. They may find themselves working flexible schedules to stage a home or meet with homeowners or selling agents (or property management) evening and on weekends
Salary range: $30,930 to $99,070; A focus on building codes and accessibility standards may help to create jobs for these workers.
Property Managers
This job title covers a range of responsibilities, so it’s likely to offer a lot of novelty to folks interested in this industry. Property managers may manage a single apartment building, helping to fill vacancies and manage the individual residences. Or they may oversee a large staff that helps maintain and lease multiple large commercial properties. Others help individuals or organizations sell, buy, and lease out investment properties.
Salary Range: $31,030 to $129,160; California, Florida and Texas have the most property managers (as well as large populations in big cities and many workers in the IT industry.
Leasing Manager
A leasing manager is typically responsible for a residential rental property. They may be in charge of managing multiple apartments, condos, or homes starting from maintaining a high occupancy rate by marketing the property and securing rental agreements and other paperwork for tenants. They will likely also oversee the maintenance staff or service keeping up the property and residences. Leasing managers often manage a team of leasing agents and consultants.
Salary range: $42,461 to 75,169; This role may expect an employment growth of 3% from now to 2030, lower growth rate than the average.
Commercial Property Manager
A commercial property manager will be responsible for the management of business properties from leasing to day-to-day operations to ensuring maintenance is taken care of. Typically, these individuals work with shopping centers or office buildings with multiple units. The manager often takes care of things like executing leases, collecting rent, and overseeing the team that handles maintenance and repairs.
Salary Range: $30,740, and the highest 10% earned more than $124,680; Job growth is predicted to be slower than average, but about 33,300 openings for property, real estate, and community association managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Facilities Managers
Facilities managers typically oversee multiple properties such as a university campus, government complex, or offices for a company or organization. They often oversee staff that maintain the properties and negotiate contracts with service providers, from security to IT.
They often are responsible for setting and meeting an annual budget while ensuring everything on the property functions smoothly and is repaired promptly.
Salary Range: $59,280 to $164,080; Overall employment of facilities managers is projected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
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Loan Officers
Loan officers either work for a broker representing multiple lending institutions or a single bank. They help people apply, qualify, and process their loans. Loan officers work with property buyers from pre-qualification, often before the buyers find a property, all the way until the escrow is closed. They also help people refinance existing home or investment loans.
Loan officers combine strong people and sales skills with math skills. They work with underwriters who do an in-depth analysis of the property and a buyer’s qualifications and have the final say on loan approval.
Salary Range: $32,520 to $138,310
Mortgage Processor
These individuals take care of the administrative tasks for processing a mortgage loan. They’ll typically collect and prepare all the information needed for loan documents—such as applications, credit documents, and appraisals—to process and complete mortgage loan files. They also often keep track of deadlines to ensure clients submit their paperwork on time to get everything complete.
Salary range: $37,624 to $71,322; According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 208,800 loan processors were employed in 2020
Grounds Maintenance
Ground maintenance workers care for the outdoor areas around businesses, parks, homes, and public facilities. This is an entry-level position that is usually supervised by a more experienced groundskeeper.
Depending on the grounds they keep, duties can include mowing, weeding and trimming, planting, feeding, and pest control.
Salary Range: $24,294 to $48,214
General Maintenance and Repair
Houses, apartment buildings, warehouses, office buildings, and public facilities all have one thing in common: they need regular upkeep and repair. General maintenance and repair workers keep things within a property working and looking good.
Tasks can range from painting and carpentry to light plumbing repairs. If there is a problem beyond their skill level, like a specific electrical issue, the general maintenance person will enlist the help of a specialist to fix the problem.
Salary Range: $28,910 to $62,400
Real Estate Staffing Experts
These jobs are just a sampling of the varied opportunities in real estate. Whether you are a people person, great with numbers, or like to stay active and work with your hands, there is a real estate career for you.
For hiring managers who need qualified, vetted professionals at any level of their real estate careers, connect with our experienced recruiters and take advantage of our extensive industry expertise and access to qualified candidates.
by Alexandra Woodford 
by Emilie Skaug 
