Job Description
Job DescriptionRole Title: Leasing Manager
Retail & Grocery-Anchored Portfolio
Location: Needham, MA (In office position)
Reports To: SVP of Leasing
Summary of the Role
The Leasing Manager will be responsible for executing the leasing strategy across a diverse portfolio of mixed use and grocery-anchored and community retail centers. The primary focus is maximizing occupancy, driving Income, and strategically curating a tenant mix that enhances the value and performance of the anchor and specialty tenants. This role requires a deep level of negotiation skills, lease knowledge, and the ability to effectively manage external broker relationships.
Key Responsibilities & Duties
I. Strategic Broker & Merchandising Management
- Provide direction and oversee and third-party leasing brokers to achieve aggressive leasing targets and accelerate deals across the portfolio.
- Conduct regular portfolio reviews with brokerage teams, focusing on key performance indicators like deal pipeline, and lease-up timelines.
- Execute a strategic merchandising plan to ensure an optimal tenant mix that complements the grocery anchor and drives consistent foot traffic to all specialty retailers.
- Actively prospect and target national, regional, and local tenants that align with the center's specific demographic and merchandising needs.
II. Lease Negotiation & Deal Execution (Northeast & Southeast Portfolio)
- Lead the negotiation of complex lease deals at various stages (new leases, renewals, expansions, amendments), specializing in retail-specific clauses, including co-tenancy provisions, exclusives, etc. Work with legal partners to support process.
· Qualify Tenants and generate inbound prospect leads effectively through cold calling, Broker relationships, meetings, social media, etc. and convert those prospects into LOI’s.
- Draft, review, and finalize Renewals, Letters of Intent (LOIs), ensuring all commercial terms, conditions, and tenant build-out requirements are accurately documented prior to legal review.
- Collaborate with Development/Construction teams on Tenant Improvement (TI) allowances, ensuring budgets are met and tenants open for business promptly.
- Request welcome emails to tenants
· Existing Tenant Relations or Amendments o Rent assistanceo Expansions o Assignments or Sublets
III. Lease Administration & Risk Mitigation
- Manage the execution and administration of all lease amendments, assignments, subleases, and lease terminations, focusing on preserving tenant credit and mitigating co-tenancy risk.
- Ensure rigorous compliance, particularly those tied to the grocery anchor and major junior anchors.
- Liaise with Property Management and Accounting to ensure accurate lease abstracting, billing of Common Area Maintenance (CAM), and timely collection of percentage rent (where applicable).
IV. Management and Administration
· Work with marketing and administration to set up meetings.· Work closely with legal partners and our paralegal on exclusives, prohibited uses, pylons, renewals etc.· Maintain deal sheets on active LOI’s.· Provide direction on presentations· Manage/Direct Leasing Representative o Weekly meetings to provide direction and feedbacko Help provide weekly schedule for canvassing, setting meetings, etc. o Suggest canvassing locations or most needed property attention/strategy · Canvassing assistance for Rock Row – hit list
V. Marketing Support
· Work with the Marketing team on how to best support new leasing projects or make updates to properties or Tenant specific presentations, renderings etc.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Experience: 5+ years of experience in commercial real estate
- Expertise: Deep understanding of retail real estate and leases
- Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in (Excel) and experience with industry-specific CRM/software (e.g., Yardi, or comparable leasing management tools, VTS). EGNYTE , Deal Manager, Costar/LoopNet
- Soft Skills: Exceptional negotiation, relationship-building, and communication skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Project Management skills needed.
- Ability to travel to conferences