- CRETI counted 660 active U.S. jobs in residential leasing, residential building construction and brokerage at the end of Q3, and nearly two-thirds, 423, were leasing roles.
- Leasing jobs carry a median hourly wage of $20 and a median salary of $76,000, while the 135 residential construction roles advertise a median salary of $75,000.
- Employers say candidates are easier to find, aided by retail workers moving into leasing, though top-tier talent remains competitive and construction firms struggle to find travel-ready staff.
Leasing roles dominate the openings in the housing sector, with 423 of 660 active postings in the CRETI Q3 report. The count spans leasing, apartment-building construction and brokerage roles at the close of the third quarter.
The Center for Real Estate Technology & Innovation produced the report with CareerHound, their first joint effort.
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Leasing Leads the Openings
Nearly two-thirds of the postings were leasing jobs, and almost 80% of those disclosed pay. The median came to $20 an hour or $76,000 a year, and the middle half of hourly rates ran from $16.50 to $24.50.
CRETI says staffing demand follows operating assets, not just deal volume. Even with few transactions, properties still need teams for leasing, upkeep, finance and asset oversight.
CareerHound pulls postings from company websites rather than Indeed and LinkedIn, so the data reflects active openings, not completed hires.
Hiring Is Getting Easier
Lee Ann Varner of Village Green Property Management said employers have the upper hand compared with a few years ago, making it simpler to bring on sales consultants. Landing top-tier talent is still a contest, she said.
Varner pointed to a new source of candidates: former storefront retail workers, pushed out by online shopping, are moving into multifamily leasing.
Construction Openings Stay Muted
Residential construction posted 135 active jobs, a sliver of the 57,000-plus openings across the whole building sector. Nearly 80% included pay, with a median advertised salary of $75,000.
Laura Harrington of Summit Contracting Group said more people are exploring moves, but they scrutinize compensation and career path first. She said hiring means learning what each candidate wants, and Summit looks for hands-on construction experience plus a willingness to travel between states as projects shift.
Why It Matters
An easier leasing market helps operators control turnover and payroll as deals stay scarce. The broader labor backdrop is mixed, as the September jobs report showed.
The gap between leasing and construction postings also mirrors a development pipeline that has slowed.
Pay is a useful signal here. The $76,000 leasing median sits just above the $75,000 construction median, so operators competing for leasing talent are effectively bidding against builders.
What’s Next
Watch whether leasing postings stay elevated as the market steadies and whether construction hiring recovers once new starts return.
