Real Estate Specialist - Housing Department

Real Estate Specialist

Housing Department

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: The Real Estate Specialist is responsible for managing and administering the Town's residential real estate portfolio and supporting the Housing Department in all aspects of municipal real estate management. Responsibilities include the administration of Town-owned and leased residential properties; oversight of leases, licenses, and other real estate agreements; coordination of acquisitions, dispositions, and development projects in collaboration with the Real Estate Office; management of temporary, year-round, and seasonal employee housing; supervision of housing property personnel, including building managers; development and implementation of municipal housing policies and procedures; coordination of procurement and capital improvement activities; and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and Town policies. The position serves as the Housing Department's primary resource for residential real estate matters and works collaboratively with Town Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, Real Estate Office, and Town boards and departments to support the Town's housing objectives and the effective stewardship of municipal residential real estate assets.

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in real estate, public administration, business administration, finance, law, or a closely related field; Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in municipal real estate, property or asset management, housing administration, or a related field, including experience managing leases and licenses, property portfolios, procurement, and capital projects. Working knowledge of Massachusetts municipal law, procurement requirements, land use, zoning, housing programs, and real estate practices is highly desirable.

Full Time, Benefits, Non-Union

Salary Range: $47.49 - $58.42 per hour 

Commensurate with experience

The Town of Nantucket offers a retirement pension through Barnstable County Retirement, 90% employer sponsored health insurance plan options and a diverse selection of supplemental insurance policies.

Application Deadline: Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 4 pm

STATEMENT OF DUTIES: The Real Estate Specialist is responsible for managing and administering the Town's residential real estate portfolio and supporting the Housing Department in all aspects of municipal real estate management. Responsibilities include the administration of Town-owned and leased residential properties; oversight of leases, licenses, and other real estate agreements; coordination of acquisitions, dispositions, and development projects in collaboration with the Real Estate Office; management of employee housing; supervision of rental property staff; development and implementation of municipal housing policies and procedures; coordination of procurement and capital improvement activities; and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and Town policies. The position serves as the Housing Department's primary resource for residential real estate matters and works collaboratively with Town Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, Real Estate Office, and Town boards and departments to support the Town's housing objectives and the effective stewardship of municipal residential real estate assets.

SUPERVISION REQUIRED: Works under the supervision of the Housing Director or their designee. Performs a variety of duties requiring the exercise of independent and objective judgment. Works frequently on own initiative to handle areas of responsibility and assigned tasks in a professional manner. Employee consults with the Town Manager and/or Town Counsel, as authorized by the Housing Director, where clarification, interpretation, or exemption to organizational policies may be required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: The employee is responsible for the supervision of rental property staff within the Housing Department. 

CONFIDENTIALITY: The employee has regular access to confidential information in accordance with the State Public Records Law.

ACCOUNTABILITY:Consequences of error missed deadlines or poor judgment may include adverse customer relations, legal repercussions, and monetary loss to the town.

JUDGEMENT: The employee is required to examine, analyze and evaluate facts and circumstances surrounding individual problems, situations, or transactions, and determine actions to be taken within the limits of standard or accepted practices. Numerous standardized practices, procedures or general instructions govern the work performed and, in some cases, may require additional interpretation. Independent judgment is needed to facilitate exceptional customer service with the general public and employees while maintaining confidentiality.

COMPLEXITY: The work consists of a variety of project management duties which generally follow standardized practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines. The sequence of work and/or the procedures followed vary according to the nature of the transaction and/or the information involved, or sought, in a particular situation.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Primary duties are performed in a standard office environment and in various meeting locations in Town; however, some time is spent outdoors conducting visual inspections of residential properties. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting. There are frequent interruptions. Work outside of traditional hours is expected, generally for attendance at meetings outside of the workday.

NATURE AND PURPOSE OF PUBLIC CONTACT: Relationships with co-workers and the public may involve frequent explanation, discussion or interpretation of practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines in order to render service, plan or coordinate work efforts, or resolve operating problems. Other regular contacts are with service recipients. More than ordinary courtesy, tact, and diplomacy may be required to respond to requests for information or to deal with uncooperative or uninformed persons.

OCCUPATIONAL RISK: The essential duties of the position present minimal potential for personal injury. Occupational risk exposure is similar to that found in a standard office environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES/FUNCTIONS

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Real Estate Transactions & Contract Administration

• Assist with drafting and coordinating municipal housing real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreements, deeds, acquisitions, dispositions, development agreements, recordings, and filings. 
• Ensure procurement processes related to residential real estate are initiated in a timely manner and conducted in coordination with the Finance Department. 
• Establish, maintain, and administer a comprehensive database of all residential real estate leases, licenses, and related agreements. 
• Conduct regular reviews of leases and licenses in collaboration with Finance, Administration, and affected departments, providing recommendations at least ninety (90) days before expiration. 
• Ensure lease and license agreements are renewed, amended, or replaced as appropriate and that no agreement expires without appropriate action. 
• Review invoices related to housing operations in accordance with Town policies.
• Assist in preparing and monitoring annual operating and capital budgets for municipal residential properties.

Property Portfolio Management

• Manage and oversee the Town's residential real estate portfolio, including properties owned or managed by the Affordable Housing Trust. 
• Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all Town-owned and leased residential properties, including property descriptions, deed restrictions, homeowners' association requirements, utilities, furnishings (as applicable), and other relevant property information. 
• Monitor rental revenues, expenditures, occupancy, and overall portfolio performance. 
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, deed restrictions, affordability requirements, procurement laws, and Town policies. 
• Conduct or coordinate periodic inspections of Town-owned residential properties to assess property condition, monitor compliance with lease and license agreements, identify maintenance and repair needs, and recommend capital improvements. 

Employee Housing Administration

• Administer municipal employee housing leases and licenses. 
• Serve as the primary liaison with Human Resources, Town Administration, Facilities, and department heads regarding employee housing. 
• Coordinate with Town departments to assess current and future employee housing needs and recommend appropriate housing assignments. 
• Coordinate emergency housing assignments or temporary relocations for Town employees when necessary. 

Staff Supervision & Leadership

• Supervise all Rental Property staff within the Housing Department, including assigning, coordinating, and monitoring daily work activities to ensure efficient operations and high-quality customer service. 
• Plan, prioritize, and oversee staff work assignments to ensure timely completion of property management, leasing, licensing, inspections, and tenant-related responsibilities. 
• Develop and implement work procedures and operational standards to improve efficiency, accountability, and consistency in the administration of the Town's residential real estate portfolio. 
• Foster effective communication and collaboration among Housing Department staff and with other Town departments to ensure coordinated delivery of employee housing and residential property management services.

Facilities & Capital Coordination

• Coordinate with Facilities to assess building repair and maintenance needs for Town-owned residential properties. 
• Develop capital improvement recommendations and coordinate the procurement of maintenance, repair, and related service contracts for Town-owned residential properties. 
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

RECOMMENDED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelor's degree in real estate, public administration, business administration, finance, law, or a closely related field; Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in municipal real estate, property or asset management, housing administration, or a related field, including experience managing leases and licenses, property portfolios, procurement, and capital projects. Working knowledge of Massachusetts municipal law, procurement requirements, land use, zoning, housing programs, and real estate practices is highly desirable.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Valid Class D motor vehicle driver’s license.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS: 

Knowledge: Working knowledge of common policies, practices and procedures of municipal government and applicable local, state and/or federal laws and regulations pertinent to position functions.  Knowledge of local real estate market important.

Ability: Ability to interact effectively and appropriately with the public, public officials and other personnel, perform multiple tasks and maintain confidential information. Ability to receive and process public records-related documents and inquiries in a timely manner. Ability to complete multiple tasks in a timely, detailed, and accurate manner.

Skills: Proficiency in written and oral communication; advanced Word, Excel, Outlook and standard office software; proficient customer service.  Excellent organizational skills necessary.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Minimal physical demands are required to perform the essential functions of the position. The employee may be required to lift, push or pull office equipment or pick up objects weighing thirty (30) pounds or less.

MOTOR SKILLS: Duties require the employee to utilize basic manual dexterity for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment.

VISUAL DEMANDS:The employee is constantly required to read documents and reports for understanding and routinely for analytical purposes. The employee may be required to determine color differences.