Leasing Agents vs. Property Managers: How to Decide Which Role to Hire First

When it comes to growing your real estate team, understanding the difference between a leasing agent and a property manager is key. Both roles play an important part in maintaining strong property operations and tenant satisfaction, but they serve distinct functions that impact your bottom line differently. Knowing which position to prioritize depends on your portfolio size, business goals, and where your current gaps lie. The cost alone from hiring the wrong team member is cause for the correct research and understanding of each role to make sure you hire the correct talent the first time. To start, we’ll explore what each of these roles entail, and what characteristics you will seek out from both to decide the best fit.

 

What Is a Leasing Agent?

Role and Responsibilities

A leasing agent is primarily focused on filling vacancies and ensuring that rental properties remain occupied. Their day-to-day work revolves around marketing listings, showing properties to prospective tenants, processing applications, and preparing lease agreements.

Leasing agents often serve as the first point of contact for prospective tenants, meaning their communication and sales skills are critical. They understand the local real estate market and use this insight to help landlords or property owners set competitive rental prices.

Typical responsibilities of a leasing agent include:

• Advertising and showing available units

• Screening potential tenants

• Coordinating lease signings and renewals

• Maintaining tenant relationships during the leasing process

• Collaborating with property managers on move-ins and move-outs

If your biggest challenge right now is vacant properties or inconsistent tenant flow, a leasing agent could be your most strategic hire. Do you see this as the gap you are looking to fill?

What Is a Property Manager?

Role and Responsibilities

While leasing agents focus on filling units, a property manager oversees the daily operations of the property once tenants move in. This includes rent collection, maintenance coordination, inspections, and enforcing lease agreements.

A property manager ensures the property is profitable, compliant, and running smoothly. They also serve as the bridge between tenants and property owners, resolving issues before they escalate.

Common duties of a property manager include:

• Managing rent collection and financial reporting

• Coordinating maintenance and repairs

• Handling tenant communications and conflict resolution

• Conducting inspections and ensuring compliance with housing regulations

• Overseeing vendors and service providers

If you already have steady occupancy but need stronger operational oversight, property management may be the next area to strengthen. Do you need help with a heavier lift on day to day responsibilities?

Overlap Between Leasing Agents and Property Managers

Both leasing agents and property managers share the goal of ensuring a property’s success and tenant satisfaction. They interact regularly with tenants and property owners, often collaborating to ensure smooth transitions between leasing and occupancy.

They both require strong interpersonal skills, an understanding of the local real estate market, and attention to detail. In smaller real estate teams, it’s common for one person to handle both leasing and property management responsibilities. But as your portfolio grows, these roles often need to be separated to maintain efficiency and service quality. It’s important to keep a pulse on the current activity of your team and where natural gaps may appear in your needs.

Key Differences Between the Two Roles

The main difference between a leasing agent and a property manager comes down to focus and timing.

• Leasing agents concentrate on marketing and tenant acquisition. Their success is measured by occupancy rates and how quickly they can fill vacant units.

• Property managers focus on the long-term performance and maintenance of the property. Their success is measured by tenant retention, maintenance efficiency, and financial performance.

In short, leasing agents bring tenants in and the property manager keeps them happy and ensures the property runs smoothly. In most cases these roles work together well, but you might not need to double up on both when business picks up.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring

Before deciding whether to hire a leasing agent or a property manager first, consider the following. This is not a comprehensive list of the questions you should ask yourself. You know your own business better than most, but this is a good way to get started:

1. Are your properties currently fully leased, or do you have several vacancies?

2. How much time are you spending handling maintenance requests or tenant concerns?

3. Do you have reliable systems in place for rent collection and vendor coordination?

4. Are your properties well-marketed and priced competitively?

5. Do you plan to grow your property portfolio in the near future?

Your answers will help clarify where the biggest gaps lie, and which hire can make the biggest immediate impact. Be honest to yourself about your responses so you don’t invest in the wrong hiring intention.

When the Right Answer Is a Leasing Agent

If your answers lean toward marketing challenges, unfilled units, or limited lead generation, hiring a leasing agent first makes sense. You may need a leasing agent if:

• You’re struggling with high vacancy rates.

• You don’t have time to advertise and show properties on your own.

• You’re looking to grow your real estate portfolio quickly without a lot of friction.

• Your current team has limited sales or tenant acquisition experience.

Leasing agents can immediately improve your cash flow by ensuring properties are occupied and rental income is steady.

When the Right Answer Is a Property Manager

If your properties are mostly leased but operational issues are taking too much of your time, a property manager is likely your best investment. You may need a property manager if:

• You have multiple properties and tenants to oversee and feel like you’re juggling too much.

• Maintenance requests, rent collection, or compliance are falling behind with no end in sight.

• You want to improve tenant retention and satisfaction for the better.

• You need better oversight of your property’s financial performance.

A strong property manager can help you streamline operations, reduce tenant turnover, and free up your time for growth-focused activities.

How to Start Hiring Real Estate Support

Whether you need a leasing agent, property manager, or both, start by evaluating your most pressing operational gaps. Define what success looks like for your next hire, whether that’s faster leasing turnaround times, improved maintenance response, or stronger tenant relations.

From there, create a detailed job description that reflects your business goals, company culture, and growth plans. Partnering with an experienced real estate staffing agency can also make the process smoother. A specialized recruiter understands the nuances of the real estate industry, helping you find qualified candidates who can make an immediate impact. This takes the entire hiring process off of your already busy plate for them to find the perfect, well-experienced fit for your team the first time.

Need Help Hiring Real Estate Professionals?

If you’re ready to hire a leasing agent, property manager, or expand your real estate team, our specialized recruiters at Professional Alternatives can help. We connect employers with top real estate talent across leasing, property management, and operations roles, so you can focus on growth while we handle the hiring. Our industry experienced real estate recruiters take the time to understand your firms’ unique needs, to deliver specialized solutions and top talent (regardless of the role) from the very beginning. Contact us today to find the right professionals to support your property goals and keep your business moving forward. Start hiring top real estate talent today!