Property Accountant

Our client, a privately held, full service commercial real estate investment and development firm with a national platform, is seeking a Property Accountant to join its growing Chicago team.

The firm brings decades of combined experience across acquisitions, development, financing, leasing, property management and asset management, with a portfolio spanning healthcare and medical office, industrial, manufacturing and distribution, retail and office real estate.

Entrepreneurial in culture, the organization combines institutional quality commercial real estate experience with the flexibility, collaboration and direct access to leadership of a privately held firm.

This is an opportunity to join a growing organization and play an important role in the financial management of its commercial real estate portfolio.

The Role

The Property Accountant will be responsible for day-to-day accounting and financial reporting for an assigned portfolio of commercial real estate properties. Working closely with Asset Management and company leadership, this individual will manage core property accounting functions and help ensure accurate, timely financial information across the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day accounting for an assigned portfolio of commercial real estate properties
• Maintain property-level general ledgers and ensure accurate recording of financial activity
• Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Process vendor invoices, payments and supporting documentation
• Assist with vendor and utility account setup and ongoing administration
• Prepare tenant billings and monitor rent collections and outstanding receivables
• Prepare journal entries, accruals and other month-end accounting entries
• Perform monthly bank, balance sheet and general ledger reconciliations
• Support monthly close and preparation of property-level financial statements
• Review account activity, identify discrepancies and resolve accounting issues
• Prepare CAM, operating expense and tax reconciliations for commercial tenants
• Assist with annual property budgets, forecasts and variance analysis
• Maintain supporting schedules and documentation for property-level accounts
• Assist with financial reporting for ownership, lenders and investors
• Support year-end audits and tax preparation
• Assist with accounting related to acquisitions, dispositions and refinancing
• Partner with Asset Management on ongoing property accounting and reporting needs

Qualifications

• 5+ years of property accounting, commercial real estate accounting or related accounting experience strongly preferred
• Hands on experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, journal entries, bank reconciliations and general ledger accounting
• Experience with tenant billing, rent collections and CAM or operating expense reconciliations preferred
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills
• Yardi experience strongly preferred
• QuickBooks experience preferred
• AvidXchange or a similar accounts payable platform experience is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Real Estate or a related field preferred
• Commercial real estate or property management experience strongly preferred
• Medical office and/or industrial property experience is a plus, but not required
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, organization and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple properties, priorities and recurring deadlines
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently, take ownership and collaborate effectively with the broader team

The Ideal Candidate

Our client is looking for someone who genuinely enjoys property accounting and takes pride in producing accurate, timely work. The right candidate will be dependable, organized and detail oriented, with the ability to take ownership of recurring accounting responsibilities and stay ahead of deadlines with limited oversight.

This opportunity may be particularly attractive to someone coming from a larger commercial real estate or property management organization who values the flexibility and visibility of a smaller, entrepreneurial firm, direct interaction with leadership and a long-term career in property accounting.

Schedule & Work Environment

This is a full-time, Chicago-based position with a hybrid schedule of approximately three days per week in the office and two days working remotely. Reasonable flexibility around the workday is available while maintaining the responsibilities and expectations of a full-time position.

There is no travel required.

Compensation & Benefits

Our client offers competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications.