5 templates with Fair Housing, FLSA, and salary guidance. Download as DOCX.
Most leasing consultant templates online give you one generic duties list and skip the two things that actually create legal risk in this role: Fair Housing compliance and FLSA classification. A leasing consultant is your front-line contact with prospects, which makes them your front-line Fair Housing risk, and on-site leasing staff are usually non-exempt and owed overtime, a detail the copy-paste templates almost never mention.
At FirstHR, we build templates by property type and level with that compliance structure built in. The five below cover apartment, small-firm, commercial, entry-level, and senior, with Fair Housing, FLSA, and licensing guidance most templates skip. Pick the one that fits, fill in the brackets, and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Five free templates: Apartment / Residential, Small / Independent PM, Commercial, Entry-Level, and Senior / Lead. The key facts most templates skip: leasing staff are the front-line Fair Housing risk and training is effectively mandatory; on-site leasing consultants are usually FLSA non-exempt and owed overtime; and a state real estate license may or may not be required depending on your state. Leasing consultant and leasing agent are the same role. Pay anchor: market data shows roughly $17 to $20 per hour base plus commission.
What Does a Leasing Consultant Do?
A leasing consultant, also called a leasing agent, is the front-line sales and service person for a rental property, and the job is filling units and keeping residents: touring prospects, following up on leads, processing applications, preparing leases, and coordinating move-ins and renewals. The role is the first point of contact for prospects and the face of the community, so sales skill and Fair Housing compliance are both central.
For the employer writing the posting, the setting defines the role: an apartment community, a small property management firm, or a commercial property each shape the duties differently. The five templates split by setting and level so the document matches the real job.
Leasing Consultant Duties and Responsibilities
Leasing consultant duties cluster into prospects and tours, applications and leases, occupancy and marketing, and compliance. The emphasis shifts by property type, but these areas hold across the role.
Prospects and tours
Greet prospects and conduct tours
Follow up on leads promptly
Build rapport and answer questions
Applications and leases
Process applications and screening
Prepare and review lease paperwork
Coordinate move-ins and renewals
Occupancy and marketing
Drive occupancy and conversion
Support marketing and listings
Track traffic and lead records
Compliance
Follow Fair Housing rules
Verify any state license needs
Keep accurate, fair records
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: your property type, your unit count, your reporting line, and your Fair Housing and licensing requirements. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by property type and level. Each carries the scope and duties for that case. Use this guide to choose.
Apartment / Residential
Flagship, on-site
For an apartment community or residential firm: tours, applications, move-ins, renewals, and follow-up. The most common version, with KPIs and a Fair Housing note built in.
Small / Independent PM
Owner-led, multi-hat
For a small or independent property management firm where the consultant owns the process end to end and reports to the owner, with compliance and pay fields built in. The ICP version.
Commercial
Business tenants, NNN leases
For a commercial or mixed-use firm: office and retail space, business tenants, broker coordination, and longer lease structures. A license is more often required here.
Entry-Level
No experience, trainable
For a first-job hire with no leasing experience: emphasizes trainable traits and on-the-job training, with Fair Housing training as part of onboarding.
Senior / Lead
Mentors, higher quota
For an experienced consultant who carries a higher quota and mentors junior staff. A bridge toward a leasing manager role.
Match the Template to Your Property
An apartment community or residential firm: Apartment / Residential. A small or independent property management firm where the consultant owns the process: Small / Independent PM, which builds in the compliance and pay fields. A commercial or mixed-use property: Commercial. A first-job hire: Entry-Level. An experienced consultant who mentors: Senior / Lead. Whichever you pick, put a Fair Housing line in the posting and classify the role correctly.
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: employer and property summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, KPIs, reporting line, FLSA status, and pay, with an EEO and Fair Housing statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 5 Templates
Apartment, small-firm, commercial, entry-level, and senior. All in one DOCX.
For an apartment community or residential firm: tours, applications, move-ins, renewals, and follow-up. The most common version, with KPIs and a Fair Housing note. Works for the leasing agent title too.
For a commercial or mixed-use firm: office and retail space, business tenants, broker coordination, and longer lease structures. A license is more often required here.
Commercial Leasing Consultant Job Description
COMMERCIAL LEASING CONSULTANT JOB DESCRIPTION
Firm: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Leasing Manager / Principal / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2 employee
FLSA status: Non-exempt unless duties qualify [confirm by duties]
Pay: $_ + commission
ABOUT [FIRM NAME]
[Firm Name] is a commercial / mixed-use real estate firm in
[City, State] leasing office, retail, and commercial space.
POSITION SUMMARY
We are hiring a Commercial Leasing Consultant to lease commercial
space, work with business tenants and brokers, and support deals
through to signed leases.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Show and market commercial / retail space
•Work with business tenants and brokers
•Support lease negotiation and terms (NNN, TI)
•Analyze the local market and comparables
•Prepare proposals and lease documents
•Coordinate tenant improvements and move-ins
•Maintain a pipeline of prospective tenants
•Follow Fair Housing and accessibility rules
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma; degree a plus
•[2+] years of leasing, sales, or commercial real estate
•Knowledge of commercial lease structures
•Strong negotiation and market-analysis skills
•[State real estate license, often required for commercial]
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Commercial real estate experience
•Broker relationships in the local market
•[Relevant real estate credential]
KEY METRICS (KPIs)
•Square footage leased
•Tenant retention rate
•Lease-up velocity
•Pipeline value
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay: $_ + commission [+ benefits]
Confirm FLSA classification by the actual duties.
To apply, email __ with your resume.
[Firm Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 4: Entry-Level Leasing Consultant
For a first-job hire with no leasing experience: emphasizes trainable traits and on-the-job training, with Fair Housing training as part of onboarding.
A leasing consultant role weighs people and sales skills, reliability, and Fair Housing knowledge over formal education, since the entry point is typically a high school diploma.
Type
What to look for
Education
High school diploma or equivalent; degree a plus
Experience
0-1 years (entry) to 3+ years (senior or lead)
Skills
Sales, communication, people skills, organization
Technical
Property-management software, lead tracking
Compliance
Fair Housing training; state license where required
Weight people skills and reliability over credentials, and make Fair Housing training a clear expectation. Keep requirements job-related, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics, and the CALP credential works well as a preferred qualification.
Fair Housing Compliance for Leasing Staff
Fair Housing is the single most important compliance point for this role, because leasing staff make the front-line decisions where violations happen.
The Seven Federal Protected Classes
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. Many state and local laws add more, such as source of income, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The common violations are steering prospects toward or away from units, advertising language that signals a preference, and misrepresenting availability. Leasing staff are the front line, so training is effectively mandatory in multifamily. Confirm the protected classes that apply in your area with HUD.
Put a Fair Housing line in the job description and make the training a required onboarding step that runs before a new hire shows a unit. This is general guidance, not legal advice; confirm the rules for your state and locality.
Are Leasing Consultants Exempt or Non-Exempt?
On-site leasing consultants are usually non-exempt, and assuming otherwise is a common, costly mistake.
Why On-Site Leasing Is Non-Exempt
The FLSA outside-sales exemption requires that the employee's primary duty is making sales and that they customarily work away from the employer's place of business. An on-site leasing consultant works at the leasing office, which is the employer's place of business, so the outside-sales exemption generally does not apply, and the role is typically non-exempt: paid hourly and owed overtime over 40 hours in a week, even with commission. Track all hours, including evenings and weekends during lease-up. Review DOL Fact Sheet 17F.
Whether a leasing consultant needs a real estate license depends on your state, and the certification picture is separate from licensing.
Licensing Varies by State
Many states exempt limited on-site leasing staff (showing units and taking applications under an owner or broker) from real estate licensing, while others require a license, and some have a specific leasing-agent license or require one when leasing is combined with broader management. Commercial leasing more often requires a license. State clearly whether a license is required, preferred, or not applicable in your state, and verify the current rule with your state real estate commission. For certification, the Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (CALP) is the industry-standard credential.
Use a state-licensing check in the posting rather than a blanket rule, and list CALP as a preferred qualification. The CALP requires six months of leasing experience plus coursework, so it fits experienced hires better than entry-level ones.
Leasing Consultant Pay
Pay has two reference points that diverge, and being honest about the gap helps you set a realistic band.
Leasing Consultant Pay
The closest federal occupation, real estate sales agents (SOC 41-9022), had a median of $56,320 a year in May 2024, but that reflects licensed agents and overstates pay for a typical on-site apartment leasing consultant (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). National market data for the leasing consultant role specifically shows roughly $17 to $20 per hour in base pay, with total compensation higher once commission and leasing bonuses are added.
For a small property management firm, anchor to an hourly base in that market range plus a clear commission or leasing-bonus structure, rather than to the licensed-agent median. Because the role is non-exempt, the base is hourly and overtime applies. Pay rises with experience, the CALP credential, and a strong closing record.
A Note on the Data
There is no single federal occupation code for apartment leasing consultants. The real estate sales agents code (SOC 41-9022, $56,320 median) is the closest match but covers licensed agents and runs high for this role. Market data for the leasing consultant title specifically runs lower, around $17 to $20 per hour base, with commission on top. Present pay as an hourly base plus performance pay.
Hiring a Leasing Consultant for a Small Firm
Small property management firms make this hire often, and the role carries compliance details that matter from day one. Here are the three realities that matter most.
Fair Housing is the front-line legal risk, and your leasing staff are the front line
Leasing consultants are the people who talk to prospects, show units, and decide what to say about availability, which makes them the front-line Fair Housing risk for any property. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability, the seven federal protected classes, and many state and local laws add more, such as source of income or sexual orientation. The violations that get small operators in trouble are usually not deliberate: steering a family toward or away from certain units, describing a property as ideal for a particular kind of resident, or telling one prospect a unit is unavailable while telling another it is open. That is why Fair Housing training is effectively mandatory in multifamily and belongs in the job description and the onboarding plan, not as an afterthought. The templates on this page put a Fair Housing line in the posting and tie the training to onboarding so it actually happens before a new hire shows a single unit. This is general guidance, not legal advice; confirm the protected classes that apply in your state and locality.
On-site leasing consultants are usually non-exempt, so overtime applies
It is easy to assume a salesperson is exempt from overtime, but on-site apartment leasing consultants usually are not, and getting this wrong is a common and expensive mistake. The FLSA outside-sales exemption requires that the employee's primary duty is making sales and that they customarily work away from the employer's place of business. An on-site leasing consultant works at the leasing office, which is the employer's place of business, so the outside-sales exemption generally does not apply, and the role is typically non-exempt: paid hourly and owed overtime for hours over 40 in a week. Industry job descriptions reflect this, marking the role non-exempt. The practical implications: pay by the hour (plus commission or leasing bonus), track hours including evenings and weekends during busy lease-up periods, and pay overtime when it is earned. The templates here mark the role non-exempt by default and flag the commercial case, where duties occasionally differ, for a separate check. This is general information, not legal advice; classify by the actual duties and pay.
High turnover means you re-hire and re-onboard this role often, so make it repeatable
Leasing is a high-turnover role, with industry survey data putting annual turnover for on-site leasing staff around 32 percent, which means a small property management firm re-hires and re-onboards this position far more often than most. That makes a repeatable hiring and onboarding process worth real money: a reusable job description, a structured ramp, and a Fair Housing training step that runs every time without anyone having to remember it. FirstHR fits this directly: e-signature for the offer letter, the commission or bonus agreement, and the Fair Housing policy acknowledgment; an onboarding workflow and AI onboarding wizard that runs the same property tour, software training, Fair Housing certification, and lease-paperwork walkthrough for every new hire; training modules for mandatory Fair Housing and property-management software; and document management to store Fair Housing certificates, any state leasing or real estate license, and the signed commission plan. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, a firm that re-hires this role several times a year pays one rate regardless of how often it onboards. FirstHR does not run payroll, administer benefits, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll and compliance resources. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Leasing Consultant
A leasing consultant interacts with prospects and handles legal-risk decisions from day one, so onboarding is both a setup task and a compliance control point. Send a clear offer with the pay structure and the non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer and commission agreement, and complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork.
Then handle the role-specific steps before the new hire shows a unit: complete Fair Housing training with a signed acknowledgment, train on your property-management software, walk through the lease-paperwork process, and shadow an experienced consultant. Keep the signed onboarding documents, the Fair Housing certificate, and any license in one place, and the offer letter template covers the terms, with the onboarding checklist giving you a repeatable process. If this is among your first hires, the guide to hiring your first employee covers the steps around the posting itself.
FirstHR fits this hire directly: e-signature for the offer letter, the commission or bonus agreement, and the Fair Housing policy acknowledgment, an onboarding workflow and AI onboarding wizard that runs the same property tour, software training, and Fair Housing certification for every new hire, training modules for Fair Housing and property-management software, and document management to store Fair Housing certificates, any state license, and the signed commission plan. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, a firm that re-hires this high-turnover role several times a year pays one rate regardless of how often it onboards. FirstHR does not run payroll, administer benefits, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll and compliance resources. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A leasing consultant (or leasing agent, the same role) tours prospects, processes applications, prepares leases, and drives occupancy at a rental property.
Leasing staff are the front-line Fair Housing risk; the Act covers seven federal protected classes, and training is effectively mandatory before showing units.
On-site leasing consultants are usually FLSA non-exempt and owed overtime, because they work at the leasing office rather than away from it.
Match the template to the setting: apartment, small-firm, commercial, entry-level, or senior.
A state real estate license may or may not be required; verify with your state commission, and list CALP as a preferred certification.
Pay anchor: market data shows roughly $17 to $20 per hour base plus commission; the licensed-agent SOC median of $56,320 (BLS, May 2024) runs high for this role.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a leasing consultant do?
A leasing consultant, also called a leasing agent, is the front-line sales and service person for a rental property, and the core job is filling units and keeping residents. The main duties are consistent: greeting prospects and conducting tours, following up on leads by phone, email, and text, processing rental applications and screening, preparing and reviewing lease paperwork, coordinating move-ins and renewals, maintaining accurate traffic and lead records, and supporting marketing and resident events. The role is the first point of contact for prospects and the face of the community, which makes both sales skill and Fair Housing compliance central to it. The setting shifts the emphasis: an apartment or residential consultant focuses on the apartment lease cycle, a commercial consultant works with business tenants and longer lease structures, and at a small firm the consultant often owns the whole process and wears several hats. The templates on this page cover the apartment, small-firm, commercial, entry-level, and senior versions of the role.
What is the difference between a leasing consultant and a leasing agent?
There is essentially no difference; the two titles are used interchangeably across the industry. A leasing consultant and a leasing agent both refer to the on-site sales and service person who tours prospects, processes applications, and handles leases at a rental property. Some employers prefer one title over the other, and you will see both in job postings for the same role, often at the same company. A few other titles overlap: a leasing specialist is usually the same role with more administrative and clerical duties, and a leasing coordinator skews more administrative. The one title that is genuinely different is leasing manager, which is a more senior role that supervises the leasing team, sets goals, and handles budgets. For your posting, pick whichever of consultant or agent is more common in your market, and know that the job description is the same either way. The flagship template on this page works for both, since they describe the same job.
Are leasing consultants exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
On-site apartment leasing consultants are usually non-exempt, which means they are owed overtime. It is tempting to assume a salesperson is exempt, but the FLSA outside-sales exemption requires two things: the employee's primary duty must be making sales, and they must customarily and regularly work away from the employer's place of business. An on-site leasing consultant works at the leasing office, and that office is the employer's place of business, so the outside-sales exemption generally does not apply. The role is therefore typically non-exempt: paid hourly, and entitled to overtime at time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, even with commission or bonus on top. Industry job descriptions reflect this, marking the role non-exempt. The practical steps: pay hourly plus commission or leasing bonus, track all hours including evenings and weekends during lease-up, and pay overtime when earned. A commercial leasing role with different duties may warrant a separate analysis. This is general information, not legal advice; classify by the actual duties and pay, not the title.
Do leasing consultants need a real estate license?
It depends on the state, and the rules vary enough that the posting should direct candidates and the employer to verify. Many states exempt limited on-site leasing staff, those who show units and take applications on behalf of the owner or a broker, from real estate licensing requirements, while others require a license. Some states have a specific leasing-agent license category. Others require a license when leasing is combined with broader property management duties, and some require it for anyone who leases or manages property for compensation on behalf of others. Because the requirement turns on your state's rules and the exact scope of the role, the responsible approach is to state in the posting whether a license is required, preferred, or not applicable in your state, and to verify the current rule with your state real estate commission before hiring. Commercial leasing more often requires a license than on-site residential leasing. The templates on this page include a state-licensing check field rather than asserting a blanket rule, since a wrong assumption either way creates risk.
What is the CALP certification?
CALP stands for Certified Apartment Leasing Professional, the industry-standard entry credential for leasing staff, offered by the National Apartment Association and formerly known as the NALP. It is designed specifically for leasing consultants and is a strong signal of professionalism for the role. Earning it requires a minimum of six months of onsite property management experience in a leasing role, completion of seven required courses totaling 21 hours, and passing the examination within six months of declaring candidacy. The coursework covers the leasing process, marketing, Fair Housing, and related skills. Maintaining the credential requires annual dues and documented continuing-education hours. For your posting, CALP works well as a preferred rather than required qualification for most leasing consultant roles, since many strong candidates are entry-level and can work toward it on the job, while listing it as preferred signals that you value the credential. The senior and lead templates on this page list CALP as a preferred qualification, and the entry-level template references the path toward it.
How much does a leasing consultant make?
Pay depends on the market and on how much commission and bonus the role carries, and there are two useful reference points that diverge. The closest federal occupation, real estate sales agents, had a median annual wage of $56,320 in May 2024, but that figure reflects licensed agents and overstates pay for a typical on-site apartment leasing consultant, many of whom are unlicensed. National market data for the leasing consultant role specifically points lower, generally around $17 to $20 per hour in base pay, with total compensation rising once commission and leasing bonuses are added, which is why some total-pay figures land considerably higher. So the honest picture is a base in the high-$30,000s on an annualized hourly basis, plus performance pay that varies widely by property and market. For your posting, set an hourly base plus a clear commission or leasing-bonus structure, anchored to your local market and the experience level, and post it, since pay is one of the first things candidates screen on. Because the role is non-exempt, the base is hourly and overtime applies.
What KPIs should a leasing consultant be measured on?
Measure a leasing consultant on the metrics that connect their daily work to occupancy and revenue. The core KPIs are: occupancy rate, the share of units leased, which is the ultimate goal; traffic-to-lease conversion, the share of prospects who tour and then sign, with an industry benchmark around 35 percent or higher; lease renewal rate, since keeping a resident is cheaper than finding a new one; and lead follow-up speed, often measured as the share of leads contacted within 24 hours, because speed strongly predicts conversion. Depending on the property you might also track tours completed, applications processed, and average days-to-lease for vacant units. For a commercial role, the KPIs shift toward square footage leased, tenant retention, and lease-up velocity. The point is to pick a small set of metrics the consultant can actually influence and review them regularly, rather than tracking everything. The templates on this page include a KPI block so the expectations are explicit in the posting from the start.
How do I onboard a new leasing consultant?
Run a structured onboarding, and front-load Fair Housing training, because a leasing consultant interacts with prospects and handles legal-risk decisions from day one. Send the offer with the pay structure and the non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer and the commission or bonus agreement, complete Form I-9 within the first days, and gather tax forms. Then handle the role-specific steps before the new hire shows a single unit: complete Fair Housing training and get a signed acknowledgment, train on your property-management software, walk through the lease-paperwork process, and shadow an experienced consultant. Store the Fair Housing certificate, any state license, and the signed commission plan where you can find them. Because leasing turns over often, a repeatable process pays off. FirstHR handles this with e-signature for the offer, commission agreement, and Fair Housing acknowledgment, an onboarding workflow and AI onboarding wizard that runs the same ramp every time, training modules for Fair Housing and software, and document management for certificates and licenses. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect your payroll and benefits providers for those. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
