At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive occupancy and leasing performance while shaping strategies for our expanding portfolio.
- Company: Join Colby River Student Living, a growing leader in student accommodation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, performance bonuses, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team focused on growth and innovation in student living.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on student living experiences and drive commercial success.
- Qualifications: Experience in PBSA or similar environments with strong analytical and coaching skills.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Colby River Student Living is growing, and we're looking for an experienced Student Living Leasing Manager to help drive the commercial performance of our expanding UK portfolio. This is a national, high-impact role for someone who understands that successful leasing is about much more than filling rooms. You'll combine commercial instinct, data and market insight to drive occupancy, optimise revenue and make sure our properties are positioned to perform.
Reporting to the Head of Leasing, you'll influence leasing strategy across the portfolio, take ownership of pricing and availability controls, develop key partnerships and work directly with our site teams to turn enquiries into bookings. If you know PBSA, understand what drives students to book and enjoy turning data into action, we want to hear from you.
What you'll be doing
- Drive occupancy and leasing performance
- Lead portfolio-wide rebooker, direct booking and tactical leasing campaigns
- Monitor booking pace, availability and room-type performance
- Identify occupancy gaps and put clear recovery plans in place
- Track conversion throughout the customer journey
- Improve enquiry, viewing, follow-up and booking performance
- Balance occupancy with rate integrity and long-term commercial value
- Own pricing and revenue performance
- Analyse booking pace, pick-up, conversion, cancellations, pricing and availability
- Shape rent-setting, budgets and forecasts
- Recommend pricing changes, promotions and incentives
- Maintain strong governance around rate cards, rent settings, discounts, availability, contract lengths and other commercial changes
- Turn insight into action
- Understand local PBSA markets, competitor pricing and incentives
- Make clear recommendations on pricing, products, channels and campaigns
- Develop powerful partnerships
- Manage relationships with UK and international booking agents, brokers, referral partners, universities and educational representatives
- Focus effort where it creates the most value
- Make our site teams even better at leasing
- Review enquiry handling and customer sales journeys
- Coach teams on product knowledge and objection handling
- Help colleagues deliver better viewings
- Strengthen follow-up and closing techniques
- Share best practice across the portfolio
- Support new property mobilisations and the onboarding of leasing colleagues
- Work hand-in-hand with Marketing
- Ensure campaigns are focused on the commercial priorities
- Provide clear briefs and use lead quality, conversion and return to understand what's working
What we're looking for
- Significant experience within PBSA, residential lettings, co-living, hospitality or a comparable multi-site sales environment
- Strong commercial judgement and an understanding of pricing and revenue optimisation
- Experience analysing booking pace, conversion and sales performance
- Strong analytical skills and confidence turning data into practical action
- Experience with property management, CRM or booking platforms
- Strong Excel skills and ideally experience with Power BI
- Experience managing relationships with agents, universities or other commercial partners
- The ability to coach and influence teams without relying on direct line-management authority
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- A highly organised, proactive and solutions-focused approach
- A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across our portfolio
- Experience with systems such as Yardi, StarRez, TCAS or Kinetic would be advantageous
What makes you stand out?
You're commercially curious and comfortable challenging assumptions when the data tells a different story. You move quickly, but with sound judgement. You're as comfortable discussing pricing and revenue with senior leaders as you are coaching a site team on how to convert more viewings into bookings. And while you're focused on the numbers, you never lose sight of the people behind them - our students and the experience we want them to have.
What's in it for you?
- Competitive base salary
- Performance-related bonus
- Company mileage or travel allowance and business expenses
- Contributory pension
- Health cash plan
- Career development within a growing Commercial & Leasing function
- The opportunity to shape portfolio-wide leasing standards, systems and strategy
Come and shape our next stage of growth. This isn't simply about hitting an occupancy number. It's about understanding the market, spotting opportunities before others do, building commercially confident teams and creating a leasing strategy that delivers both strong performance and an outstanding student experience. If you're ready to take your PBSA leasing experience to a national portfolio, we'd love to hear from you.
Student Living Leasing Manager - Colby River - London in Poplar employer: Colby River
Colby River is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee growth and well-being, offering a competitive salary and a range of benefits including an annual discretionary bonus and generous leave entitlement. Our collaborative work culture in Altrincham fosters professional development, allowing you to play a vital role in shaping high-quality residential communities while enjoying the flexibility of a hybrid working model after probation. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to delivering outstanding service and creating sustainable value for our residents and investors.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Student Living Leasing Manager - Colby River - London in Poplar
✨Get Involved in Local Property Events
Dive into local property expos and networking events! Real estate thrives on connections, so attending these events helps us meet potential employers and industry leaders, plus it's a chance to show off your enthusiasm for the field.
✨Connect with Local Agents on Social Media
Follow and engage with local real estate agents and firms on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. Sharing their posts and commenting with your insights can put you on their radar and might even lead to job opportunities at companies like Colby River.
✨Don’t Underestimate the Power of Cold Outreach
Got your eye on a specific company like Colby River? Don't hesitate to send a direct message or an email expressing your interest. Personalise your approach, maybe mentioning a recent listing or project of theirs, and it could set you apart from other candidates.
✨Utilise Property Management Platforms
Check out property management platforms and job boards tailored for the real estate sector. They often have exclusive listings, especially for full-time roles. Don't forget to visit Colby River's careers page directly; we love seeing passionate candidates applying through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Student Living Leasing Manager - Colby River - London in Poplar
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Real-Estate Savvy:When crafting your CV and cover letter, make sure to highlight any relevant experience in the real estate sector. If you've done internships, assistant roles, or even relevant coursework, lay it out clearly. We want to see your familiarity with market trends, property management, or any sales experience you've got under your belt!
Quantify Your Achievements:In real estate, numbers speak volumes! When detailing your past roles, use concrete figures to demonstrate your achievements. For example, mention how many properties you sold, the percentage increase in client satisfaction, or any successful negotiations. These metrics can give your application that extra punch it needs!
Tailor Your Documents for the Job:Every application should feel personal. When applying for the Student Living Leasing Manager - Colby River - London role at Colby River, tweak your CV to focus on aspects that are important to them. If they value client relationships, emphasise your interpersonal skills. We want to see you aligning your experiences with what they're looking for!
Keep It Professional Yet Approachable:While we want you to show off your expertise, don't forget to let your personality shine through in your cover letter. A touch of friendliness can set you apart, especially in real estate where client interaction is key. Show that you're ready not just to work with the property but also with people!
How to prepare for a job interview at Colby River
✨Know Your Market Trends
In real estate, it’s all about staying ahead of the curve. Make sure we brush up on the latest market trends in the area where Colby River operates. Being able to discuss local property values, demand, and upcoming developments will show that we’re not just interested in the job, but genuinely invested in the industry.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions during the interview. We might get asked how we’d handle different client situations or property evaluations. Preparing our responses for common real estate scenarios not only demonstrates our problem-solving skills but also shows that we can think on our feet in a client-facing role.
✨Showcase Your Connections
In full-time real estate, networking is key! Let’s think about our connections in the industry and what we can bring to Colby River. Whether it’s insights on prospective clients or relationships with local contractors, talking about these experiences can set us apart from other candidates.
✨Demonstrate Technical Savvy
Familiarity with different real estate software tools is a big plus. We should be ready to discuss any platforms we've used, whether it's for property management, CRM, or data analysis. Being comfortable with technology not only makes us more efficient, but also shows that we’re adaptable to the tools used at Colby River.
