The New Development Manager-Market Development, leads the local go-to-market strategy for assigned new developments, driving brand awareness, qualified traffic, strategic partnerships, events, outreach, social media, and market activation efforts that support successful lease-ups. This role translates business objectives into targeted marketing initiatives that generate demand, increase market visibility, and accelerate leasing performance.
In partnership with the New Development Manager - Leasing, the New Development Manager- Market Development evaluates market conditions, prospect feedback, campaign performance, and leasing trends to optimize results throughout the lease-up lifecycle. While primarily responsible for marketing execution and demand generation, both New Development Managers share accountability for achieving leasing goals and delivering a successful market launch.
Marketing Strategy & Demand Generation
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Develop and execute local go-to-market strategies that build brand awareness, differentiate the community, and drive successful lease-up performance.
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Own the traffic generation strategy through marketing campaigns, social media, outreach, partnerships, events, and activations.
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Develop integrated marketing campaigns that convert awareness into qualified leads, tours, applications, and leases.
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Ensure marketing messaging, promotions, and campaigns align with leasing priorities, availability, and market conditions.
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Manage the local marketing calendar and coordinate execution across all marketing channels.
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Develop market positioning strategies that differentiate the community within competitive markets and support pricing, leasing, and occupancy objectives.
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Manage marketing budgets, vendor partnerships, and campaign investments to maximize lead generation, brand exposure, and return on marketing spend.
Market Development & Brand Engagement
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Lead local social media strategy, content planning, and brand storytelling in alignment with Core standards.
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Build and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, student organizations, local businesses, community stakeholders, and other target audiences.
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Identify and develop new outreach opportunities, engagement channels, and grassroots initiatives that expand market reach and generate demand.
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Plan and execute events and activations designed to increase awareness, drive traffic, and support leasing goals.
Leasing Performance & Business Results
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Partner with the New Development Manager, Leasing to establish weekly lead, traffic, tour, application, and leasing goals.
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Monitor marketing performance, lead quality, traffic sources, tour volume, conversion trends, and campaign effectiveness.
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Evaluate market feedback, competitor activity, prospect objections, and leasing performance to inform strategic adjustments.
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Remain actively involved in lease-up efforts by supporting tours, prospect engagement, follow-up activities, and closing opportunities as needed.
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Support key pre-leasing milestones, launch periods, and critical lease-up initiatives.
Leadership & Team Development
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Hire, train, coach, and develop Leasing & Marketing Associates and other assigned marketing-focused team members.
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Foster accountability, performance, and professional growth while supporting a collaborative team environment.
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Partner effectively with cross-functional teams to drive lease-up success.
Collaboration, Analytics & Reporting
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Collaborate closely with Corporate Marketing, Digital Marketing, Creative, Sales, Revenue Optimization, Training, and Strategy teams.
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Analyze property performance and recommend strategic pivots to improve marketing effectiveness and leasing outcomes.
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Provide reporting on campaign performance, traffic trends, partnership development, event results, and other key marketing metrics.
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Accountable for achieving pre-leasing milestones aligned with company objectives and applicable bonus plan metrics.
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Serve as the marketing subject matter expert for assigned developments, providing market intelligence, competitive insights, and strategic recommendations throughout the lease-up lifecycle.
Other
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Must be able to work a full shift / required work schedule on-site at the property.
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Must be available for additional hours including evenings, weekends, and overtime when necessary.
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Must be able to lift and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds regularly, as required by the demands of the job.
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Perform all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
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Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
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3+ years of experience in student housing, multifamily, leasing, marketing, business development, or property management, with a proven track record of driving successful lease-up results.
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Experience developing and executing go-to-market strategies, marketing campaigns, and demand generation initiatives that drive qualified traffic, lead conversion, and leasing performance.
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Strong understanding of the leasing funnel, including lead generation, traffic management, prospect engagement, conversion strategies, and performance analytics.
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Experience managing social media strategy, outreach efforts, strategic partnerships, community engagement initiatives, events, and brand activations.
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Experience utilizing CRM, property management, and reporting platforms such as Entrata, Yardi, or similar systems to evaluate performance, manage leads, and support business objectives.
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Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to coach team members, influence cross-functional stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and drive accountability toward shared goals.
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Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with the ability to evaluate market trends, performance data, and customer feedback to inform strategic decisions.
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Ability to relocate and reside in assigned markets, either temporarily or long-term, based on business needs and lease-up timelines.
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Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Windows operating systems.
You'll crush it if you have experience with
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Successfully leading high-profile lease-ups, new developments, market launches, or other startup-style business initiatives in fast-paced environments.
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Developing innovative marketing strategies that accelerated leasing velocity, increased market share, or exceeded occupancy goals.
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Student housing marketing, student consumer behavior, and creating campaigns that effectively engage renter demographics.
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Translating complex market, customer, and performance data into actionable strategies that drive measurable business results.
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Collaborating across marketing, leasing, revenue management, operations, and corporate support teams to execute large-scale initiatives and achieve shared objectives.
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Exceptional communication, presentation, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence decisions and represent the brand with credibility.
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Working in highly entrepreneurial, rapidly changing, or growth-oriented environments where adaptability, ownership, and creativity were critical to success.
Organizational Structure
Reports to: Senior Manager, Sales - New Development
Direct Reports: Marketing-focused Leasing & Marketing Associate(s) and other assigned marketing, outreach, event, or engagement team members.
