What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr. Real Property Agent - Parks Property Management position at Seattle Parks and Recreation?
Position Description
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens and swimming pools. Our mission is providing welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate and build community and promote responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment and strong communities. We strive to deliver excellent customer service to each visitor and participant. SPR is also deeply committed to advancing the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) by working to end institutional and structural racism.
The SPR Property Team is based in the Policy & Finance Branch, which provides policy leadership and planning, performance management and reporting, and strategic management of SPR’s more than 6,400 acres of property. Among our top priorities in 2025 are advancing equity through action planning to focus implementation of SPR's 2020-2032 Strategic Plan, leadership and liaison work with the Mayor’s Office and City Council.
SPR’s Property Team manages a large and exciting portfolio of properties and a wide variety of property-related issues and challenges. These properties include a multitude of natural areas, facilities, parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, golf courses, squares, triangles, 25 miles of boulevards, biking and pedestrian trails.
The Property Team handles a number of functions relating to real property owned and managed by SPR, including acquiring new land to add to the park system, managing SPR’s property assets, conducting property-related research, conducting due diligence in support of park development projects, addressing encroachments on park property, and processing permits where others seek to use SPR property for things like temporary construction staging.
We are currently recruiting for Senior Real Property Agent to handle a high volume of use permits (licenses) and a range of other property-related projects. In addition to handling a fairly high volume of use permits, this position will handle or help with a variety of other property related projects, interdepartmental issues, customer service and other duties.
The work requires familiarity with real estate concepts and, especially, strong organizational and time-management skills and the ability to work quickly and efficiently through a number of projects, completing tasks by agreed due dates and keeping customers informed on the status and progress of their requests.
Job Responsibilities
The Property Team is responsible for the implementation of three key program areas:
The unit is organized into three territories comprising the total area of the City of Seattle and one at large position that handles workload equalization, and the portfolio of properties situated outside the corporate limits of the City of Seattle. Each Senior Property Agent is also assigned one line of business to serve as the subject matter expert (SME). In the property management role, for example one Senior Real Property Agent is designated the SME role for encroachments. The SME is responsible for answering questions and providing information to staff members and the public regarding the property management units work in that area. The SME is also responsible for working with the Manager of the Unit on subject matter policy and procedures. SMEs are also responsible for intake of applications, inquiries or complaints regarding the subject and the dissemination of the same to the appropriate territory.
Each Senior Property Agent assigned to a territory has work assignments related to all aspect of the property management unit’s responsibilities within that territory and will have opportunity to work on a wide range of projects and activities coordination with the appropriate SME.
Specific Job Duties
Requires three years of experience as a Real Property Agent or equivalent and an Associate's Degree in Real Estate or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience that provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).
Additionally, candidates that demonstrate the following will be successful in this position:
Work is performed in an office environment.
Additional Information
The full salary range for this position is $57.13 - $66.60 per hour.
Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3(Download PDF reader). A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation time, 12 paid holidays, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.
SPR's Core Competencies Are
Accountability & Action: Holding yourself accountable for achieving goals, completing tasks, and delivering quality work. Demonstrating thoughtful initiative in actions and decision-making and promoting high quality standards.
Equity and Inclusion: Supporting the goals of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and the City's commitment to workforce equity.
Communication: Sharing and exchanging information and ideas with people in a variety of ways to help them understand and remember the information.
Service: An ongoing commitment to base decisions and actions on the needs and priorities of the City of Seattle.
Teamwork: Participating as an engaged member of a team to achieve group goals. Effectively working with internal and external people to complete tasks and achieve work group goals.
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens and swimming pools. Our mission is providing welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate and build community and promote responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment and strong communities. We strive to deliver excellent customer service to each visitor and participant. SPR is also deeply committed to advancing the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) by working to end institutional and structural racism.
The SPR Property Team is based in the Policy & Finance Branch, which provides policy leadership and planning, performance management and reporting, and strategic management of SPR’s more than 6,400 acres of property. Among our top priorities in 2025 are advancing equity through action planning to focus implementation of SPR's 2020-2032 Strategic Plan, leadership and liaison work with the Mayor’s Office and City Council.
SPR’s Property Team manages a large and exciting portfolio of properties and a wide variety of property-related issues and challenges. These properties include a multitude of natural areas, facilities, parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, golf courses, squares, triangles, 25 miles of boulevards, biking and pedestrian trails.
The Property Team handles a number of functions relating to real property owned and managed by SPR, including acquiring new land to add to the park system, managing SPR’s property assets, conducting property-related research, conducting due diligence in support of park development projects, addressing encroachments on park property, and processing permits where others seek to use SPR property for things like temporary construction staging.
We are currently recruiting for Senior Real Property Agent to handle a high volume of use permits (licenses) and a range of other property-related projects. In addition to handling a fairly high volume of use permits, this position will handle or help with a variety of other property related projects, interdepartmental issues, customer service and other duties.
The work requires familiarity with real estate concepts and, especially, strong organizational and time-management skills and the ability to work quickly and efficiently through a number of projects, completing tasks by agreed due dates and keeping customers informed on the status and progress of their requests.
Job Responsibilities
The Property Team is responsible for the implementation of three key program areas:
- Property Acquisition Program, which involves long-term strategic planning to identify property needs and opportunities around the city, match acquisition goals with various funding sources (including grants), and implement acquisition transactions from offer through negotiations, approval legislation and closing for the purpose of adding new land to the park system to keep up with community needs for open space.
- Inter-agency Coordination with a variety of other City departments and other agencies addressing a wide range of overlapping property-related interests and needs.
- Property Management, including problem-solving a wide variety of property-related issues and challenges. Under this third line of business, SPR’s Property Team manages a large and exciting portfolio of properties, including a multitude of natural areas, neighborhood parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, off-lease dog areas, golf courses, 25 miles of boulevards, and a variety of biking and pedestrian trails. The Property Team also provides property advice to senior executives and colleagues throughout the department and conducts property-related research and due diligence in support of park development projects.
The unit is organized into three territories comprising the total area of the City of Seattle and one at large position that handles workload equalization, and the portfolio of properties situated outside the corporate limits of the City of Seattle. Each Senior Property Agent is also assigned one line of business to serve as the subject matter expert (SME). In the property management role, for example one Senior Real Property Agent is designated the SME role for encroachments. The SME is responsible for answering questions and providing information to staff members and the public regarding the property management units work in that area. The SME is also responsible for working with the Manager of the Unit on subject matter policy and procedures. SMEs are also responsible for intake of applications, inquiries or complaints regarding the subject and the dissemination of the same to the appropriate territory.
Each Senior Property Agent assigned to a territory has work assignments related to all aspect of the property management unit’s responsibilities within that territory and will have opportunity to work on a wide range of projects and activities coordination with the appropriate SME.
Specific Job Duties
- Prevents and eliminates encroachments and private non-park use of park lands;
- Works extensively with private property owners who have encroachments onto park-owned property;
- Works with the Department of Planning and Development reviewing and commenting on new development and construction that may impact park property
- Works with land surveyors, engineers, landscape architects and other professionals in the course of identifying property boundaries,
- Develops plans to remove private encroachments, and developing appropriate restoration plans;
- Maintains a database showing all known encroachments; maintaining counts of all resolved encroachments;
- Responds to inquiries; providing information to the public regarding real property policies and procedures, specifically as they relate to the non-park use of park property;
- Defines conditions for the use of park property and monitors such use; issues revocable use permits; prepares a variety of letters and notice documents to be delivered to property owners as part of encroachment resolution process;
- Prepares and maintains real property records and files;
- Prepares contracts and other real estate documents such as agreements, deeds, city council legislation, cost estimates, reports and other written materials;
- Reads, writes, interprets and applies legal descriptions.
Requires three years of experience as a Real Property Agent or equivalent and an Associate's Degree in Real Estate or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience that provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).
Additionally, candidates that demonstrate the following will be successful in this position:
- Experience handling projects from start to finish, including creating, monitoring and adhering to project schedules and the ability to keep multiple projects advancing at the same time.
- Two or more years of project management experience, including experience developing and maintaining project management scheduling and monitoring documents and being accountable for project progress.
- Experience handling complicated and possibly contentious property issues professionally to accomplish desired outcomes.
- Experience dealing with code-enforcement or other related work where legal or other types of formal notices are sent to outside parties and timeframes must be documented and followed or experience working with attorneys timely preparing files for potential litigation or other enforcement processes.
- Two or more years of experience preparing contracts and other real property-related legal documents.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Experience working in a Windows-based environment using MS Word, Outlook, and Excel.
- Excellent working relations with a diverse workforce and City residents.
Work is performed in an office environment.
Additional Information
The full salary range for this position is $57.13 - $66.60 per hour.
Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3(Download PDF reader). A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation time, 12 paid holidays, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.
SPR's Core Competencies Are
Accountability & Action: Holding yourself accountable for achieving goals, completing tasks, and delivering quality work. Demonstrating thoughtful initiative in actions and decision-making and promoting high quality standards.
Equity and Inclusion: Supporting the goals of the Race and Social Justice Initiative and the City's commitment to workforce equity.
Communication: Sharing and exchanging information and ideas with people in a variety of ways to help them understand and remember the information.
Service: An ongoing commitment to base decisions and actions on the needs and priorities of the City of Seattle.
Teamwork: Participating as an engaged member of a team to achieve group goals. Effectively working with internal and external people to complete tasks and achieve work group goals.
Salary : $57 - $67
