What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Property Manager position at Cochrane Property Management, Inc.?
About Us
Cochrane Property Management is a locally owned and family-run company with over 35 years of experience managing residential and commercial properties throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. We value integrity, professionalism, teamwork, and a positive outlook. Our company culture is collaborative, service-minded, and rooted in honesty — we believe in doing the right thing for our clients, tenants, and team.
Position Overview
We’re seeking a detail-oriented Assistant Property Manager to join our Santa Barbara office full-time. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE HOUSING. Looking for a local candidate that is tech-savvy, dependable, and enjoys variety — balancing administrative work, marketing, compliance research, and field visits to properties in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Ventura, and Santa Barbara, CA
You’ll support our Property Portfolio Managers with daily operations, tenant and owner communication, marketing, and compliance tasks, while contributing to a positive, professional, and collaborative office environment.
*Best candidate would already be located in Santa Barbara, Goleta, or Carpinteria, CA, with knowledge of local & CA laws
Responsibilities
Leasing
- Work with Property Portfolio Managers to ensure property is rented to fullest capacity with quality tenants using good marketing strategies.
- Help with leasing questions, and showings for applicants.
- Research and monitor marketing data, etc., to be able to give up-to-date and proper information when requested by others.
- Support move-in/move-out processes when needed.
- Represent the company in a professional manner at all the times.
Administrative
- Prepare and/or implement procedures and systems within company guidelines to ensure orderly, efficient workflow.
- Confirm all leases and corresponding paperwork are completed and sent from Appfolio system accurately and on a timely basis.
- Ensure tenant files & all administrative paperwork is accurate, complete and submitted on a timely basis
- Maintain organized files and accurate data entry
- Learn and ensure compliance with company, local, state and federal laws
Customer Service
- Deal with tenant concerns and requests on timely basis
- Communicate on a frequent basis with Team and Property Portfolio Managers
- Manage phones, emails, and office communication with professionalism.
- Multitask and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced setting.
Maintenance
- Inspect appearance of properties and work with team for repairs or observing unsafe conditions to be addressed and follow-up corrections on a timely basis. This requires a keen eye and being observant and knowing what to look for in SB and Ventura counties
- Inspect periodically rent ready apartments when vacant to maintain appearance
- Help with recording maintenance service requests in our Appfolio software & effectively communicating with vendors through work orders, and following up with vendors on projects and property tasks to help Property Portfolio Managers
Inspections
- Offer technical support for uploading inspections, utilizing software to record notes and photos in a timely basis for all health & safety hazards and maintenance needs at the properties
- Work with team to schedule annual interior inspections & finalize reports
- Inspect & drive to properties as needed (in SB & Ventura county) for curb appeal issues, have an eye for detail
- Provided recommendations to Property Portfolio Managers
- Able to communicate, manage and work with Portfolio Managers, vendors, and On-site Property Managers and your Office Team
Marketing & Technology
- Photograph and film properties for marketing materials, as needed
- Familiar with Digital platforms such as CapCut, Canva, YouTube
- Use modern tools and AI to improve workflow, listings, and tenant communication.
Ideal Candidate Qualifications
- 2 years of property management, leasing, or real estate administrative experience preferred.
- BA or higher
- Experience conducting property showings or inspections.
- Familiarity with California landlord-tenant laws and compliance practices.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Tech-savvy — proficient with Microsoft Office, AppFolio, AI, Adobe Acrobat, and other marketing or creative software.
- Accurate and timely typing skills
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and a self-starter with initiative and follow-through.
- Positive, honest, and customer-service oriented.
- Team player with a collaborative and problem-solving mindset.
- Organized and strong attention to detail
- Comfortable with repetitive, task-based workload
- Ability to think creatively and analytically with good problem-solving skills
- Ability to consistently meet stringent deadlines and manage simultaneous projects
- Strong interpersonal skills; calm under pressure when talking with difficult people, ability to collaborate and enhance the team environment
- Ability to maintain a professional & positive attitude in all situations and communicate professionally with clients, vendors and tenants.
- Experience in Property Management, Accounting or Real Estate
- Experience with using Appfolio Property Management Software or similar software
How to Apply
Submit your resume and a brief cover letter explaining why you’d be a great fit for Cochrane Property Management, and how you’re looking to grow & learn in the property management field.
Cochrane Property Management, Inc.
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