Entry Level Property Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL

Property Management Assistant / Property Manager Trainee

Location: Chicago Area
Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours per week
Starting Pay: $17/hour
Experience: Property management experience not required

About the Position

We are looking for a motivated, organized, and dependable Property Management Assistant / Property Manager Trainee to join our growing property management team.

This is an entry-level opportunity for someone who wants to build a career in property management. You do not need previous property management experience. We are willing to train the right person.

You will start by assisting with the day-to-day management of residential properties while learning how the property management business works. As you demonstrate that you can handle increasing responsibility, our goal is to train and develop you into a Property Manager responsible for managing your own portfolio of properties.

This is a great opportunity for someone who is organized, communicates well, enjoys solving problems, and wants a position where they can grow.

What You'll Do

Your responsibilities will include:

• Respond to tenant calls, texts, and emails
• Receive and track maintenance requests
• Coordinate repairs with maintenance staff, contractors, and vendors
• Follow up with tenants and vendors until issues are resolved
• Assist with showing available properties
• Assist with rental applications and new tenant onboarding
• Coordinate move-ins and move-outs
• Maintain lease, tenant, vendor, and property records
• Assist with lease renewals
• Schedule property inspections and maintenance appointments
• Follow up on late rent and other tenant issues
• Communicate professionally with property owners, tenants, and vendors
• Keep property information and management systems updated
• Help resolve day-to-day problems that arise at properties
• Assist Property Managers with their portfolios
• Learn our systems and processes for managing residential properties
• Take on additional property management responsibilities as you develop

What We're Looking For

Property management experience is not required.

We're looking for someone who:

• Is dependable and shows up ready to work
• Communicates clearly and professionally
• Is comfortable speaking with people on the phone
• Has strong customer-service skills
• Is organized and keeps track of details
• Follows through instead of letting problems fall through the cracks
• Can handle multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Is comfortable dealing with occasional difficult or frustrated customers
• Has good judgment and knows when to ask for help
• Is comfortable using computers and learning new software
• Takes initiative instead of waiting to be told every next step
• Wants to learn and take on more responsibility

Experience That Could Be a Good Fit

You don't need to come from property management.

Experience in any of the following could translate well:

• Customer service
• Apartment leasing
• Hospitality
• Office administration
• Real estate
• Maintenance coordination
• Dispatching or scheduling
• Construction or contractor coordination
• Retail or service management

We're more interested in your attitude, communication skills, reliability, and ability to learn than having a specific job title on your resume.

What You'll Learn

We will train you in areas such as:

• Tenant communication and problem resolution
• Leasing and renewals
• Maintenance coordination
• Vendor and contractor management
• Property inspections
• Move-ins and move-outs
• Rent collection procedures
• Property management software
• Owner communication
• Property documentation
• Fair housing and property management procedures
• Managing multiple properties and priorities

Career Growth

We are not looking for someone who wants to remain an assistant forever.

Our goal is to develop the right candidate into a Property Manager.

As you learn the business and demonstrate that you can independently handle tenants, maintenance, vendors, leasing, and property issues, you will be given increasing responsibility and opportunities for advancement.

Your progression could look like:

Property Management Assistant → Property Manager Trainee → Property Manager → Larger Property Portfolio / Increased Responsibility

Advancement will be based on your performance, reliability, ability to solve problems, and readiness to manage properties independently.

Compensation

Starting pay: $17/hour

Full-time position, approximately 40 hours per week.

Performance and compensation will be reviewed as you develop your property management skills and take on additional responsibility.

Who Will Succeed in This Position

You'll probably enjoy this job if you're the type of person who sees a problem and thinks:

"How do I get this solved?"

rather than:

"Who can I pass this problem to?"

Property management involves people, properties, contractors, deadlines, and unexpected problems. We're looking for someone who can stay organized, communicate professionally, follow through, and gradually learn to take ownership of those responsibilities.

If you're looking for an opportunity to learn the property management business and grow into a professional Property Manager role, we'd like to hear from you.