At the end of the third quarter, there were 660 active U.S. jobs available in residential leasing, residential building construction and real estate brokerage, according to the Center for Real Estate Technology & Innovation’s Q3 2026 Jobs Report.
In the report, CRETI notes that the “housing labor market remains weighted toward operating assets rather than simply transacting them.” Even in a low-transaction environment outside of major mergers, leasing, maintenance, finance and asset management still require staffing.
CRETI produced the jobs report in partnership with CareerHound, a platform that advertises its ability to find jobs on company websites rather than on Indeed and LinkedIn. It's the first report CRETI has done with the firm.
While the CRETI report shows companies still need leasing and construction workers, multifamily hiring executives say they've become easier to find.
Leasing leads the way
Nearly two-thirds of those active jobs, 423 positions, were for residential leasing. Almost 80% of those ads included salary information, with a median hourly compensation of $20 and a median annual salary of $76,000. The middle 50% hourly salary ranged from $16.50 to $24.50 an hour, according to CRETI.
Still, Lee Ann Varner, executive vice president of people services for Village Green Property Management, said employers find it easier to fill those operational positions than a few years ago.
“The job market has become more favorable for employers, making it easier to attract and hire sales consultants than it was several years ago,” Varner told Multifamily Dive in emailed comments. “Though, sourcing top-tier talent was and remains highly competitive.”
Additionally, workers are moving into multifamily leasing from other industries, which increases the number of quality candidates for roles. “To the favor of our multifamily industry, traditional storefront retail continues to feel the impact of online shopping, previous retail sales persons are transitioning into new industries, including ours,” Varner said. “This results in an expanded talent pool to source from.”
Construction openings
In a muted development environment, residential construction accounted for 135 active jobs. The overall building sector had more than 57,000 openings. Almost 80% of residential construction listings had compensation information and the median advertised salary was $75,000, per CRETI.
On the construction side, Laura Harrington, director of corporate services for multifamily builder Summit Contracting Group, said more candidates are actively exploring new career opportunities than in years past. However, today’s candidates are digging deeper into everything from their compensation to their career track before taking a new role.
“Recruiting has never been just about finding someone willing to accept a job,” Harrington told Multifamily Dive in emailed comments. “It's about understanding what matters to that individual and whether the opportunity you're offering truly aligns with what they're looking for.
Even with more candidates to sift through for construction jobs, hurdles remain to finding the right fit. For instance, Summit seeks candidates who are flexible and have had “hands-on construction experience” before moving into general contracting, according to Harrington.
“A continued challenge specific to the multifamily construction industry is identifying candidates who are willing and able to travel across multiple states as project demands shift,” Harrington said. “Our industry requires flexibility, and finding individuals who embrace it and recognize the opportunities it offers is an important part of our recruitment process.”
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