Full-Time

Screening and Applications Specialist

Cortland

Cortland

1,001-5,000 employees

Multifamily property development, management, leasing

No salary listed

Sandy Springs, GA, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
Clerical & Data Entry (1)
Required Skills
CRM

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Requirements
  • At least 2 years of experience in a role requiring organization, scheduling, and collaboration.
  • A Bachelor's degree or relevant business degree.
  • Knowledge of application and lease procedures, rental criteria, applicant consent to investigations, applicant processing standards, and company privacy policies.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills and cultural adeptness, with the ability to influence leaders and tailor communications across organizational levels.
  • Proactive, service-centered, and team-building approach.
  • Exceptional time-management, administrative, and organizational skills, with the ability to work in a rapid-paced and changing environment.
  • Strong work ethic and respect for sensitive, confidential information.
  • Flexibility to work weekends and extended hours as needed.
Responsibilities
  • Oversee and administer all prospective applications.
  • Serve as the main contact during the application and approval process.
  • Generate accurate leases and execute them before the move-in date.
  • Work with applicants to prepare lease documents for signature and approval.
  • Follow established processes and guidelines in daily activities for the applicant, community, and investor.
  • Collect, review, and verify supporting documentation for lease signers, including proof of income, rental history, photo identification, and employment history.
  • Conduct further credit or criminal investigations as needed.
  • Load proper documentation into OneSite.
  • Drive conversations and collections on pre-move-in items, including insurance coverage, bonds, utility updates, and lease signer agreements.
  • Send adverse action letters to denied applicants.
  • Engage with communities to provide daily reports.
  • Maintain reporting for Lease Specialist workflow.
  • Close out final account statements.
  • Input and maintain lease data.
  • Maintain the funnel and customer relationship management system for tracking important dates and tasks.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in the multifamily, real estate, or customer-focused industry.
  • Bilingual language skills.

Cortland develops, manages, and leases premium multifamily apartment communities across the United States. It combines well‑designed living spaces, amenities, and hospitality‑driven service with swift maintenance to create resident‑first experiences. Revenue comes mainly from leasing units, with additional income from ancillary services and amenities. The goal is to deliver high‑quality, personalized living that drives high occupancy and tenant retention in vibrant neighborhoods.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$516M

Headquarters

Atlanta, Georgia

Founded

2005

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • LaSalle committed $250 million in January 2026 to fund Cortland's value-add repositioning.
  • Canada Life refinanced Cortland at Colliers Yard with a £129 million loan, validating credit access.
  • Cortland sold Portofino Place for $208 million in August 2026, proving liquidity and asset monetization.

What critics are saying

  • The DOJ RealPage case forced Cortland to stop using competitor data and accept monitoring.
  • Cortland paid $18 million in the May 2026 renter class settlement, signaling legal overhang.
  • An adverse antitrust ruling or compliance failure could cripple pricing systems and investor trust.

What makes Cortland unique

  • Cortland's 80,000-unit platform spans 13 states, giving scale and operating leverage.
  • Its hospitality-driven amenity model supports premium positioning versus commoditized apartment operators.
  • The 2025 Elme acquisition added 5,793 units, widening its reach and portfolio density.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Employee Discount

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

5%

1 year growth

5%

2 year growth

5%
The Real Deal
Aug 27th, 2026
Cortland sells multifamily complex for $208M as market oversupply shows signs of balancing.

Cortland sells multifamily complex for $208M as market oversupply shows signs of balancing. Multifamily i-sales experienced a resurgence but leasing is still catching up, rents keep sliding Fairfield Residential bought a massive West Palm Beach apartment complex for $208 million, as the multifamily market finds it footing after a slowdown in recent years. The multifamily trade was the second biggest in South Florida so far this year. San Diego-based Fairfield purchased the 812-unit Portofino Place Apartments at 4400 and 4600 Portofino Way from Atlanta-based Cortland, according to records and real estate database Vizzda. The deal breaks down to nearly $256,200 per door. Completed in 2003 and 2006, the complex consists of 34 three-story buildings and a pair of clubhouses and stretches on nearly 40 acres, Vizzda records show. Fairfield took out loans of $93.1 million and $85 million for the deal, both from Freddie Mac and maturing in 2033. Cortland purchased Portofino Place in 2016, when the complex consisted of the 416-unit community at 4400 Portofino Way and the 396-unit one at 4600 Portofino Way, and combined them into one complex. Terms of that purchase weren't disclosed. Cortland is led by Steven DeFrancis. Fairfield, led by Richard Boynton, is a multifamily investment, development and management firm with a portfolio of 50,600 units nationwide, including seven properties in South Florida according to its website. It also has shed some regional holdings. In 2019, Fairfield sold the 292-unit ORA Flagler Village apartment complex for $92 million. South Florida multifamily investment sales picked up in the first half of this year, with the total volume hitting $2.5 billion, an increase of 19.4 percent from a year prior, according to Avison Young. Still, market watchdogs have warned that some of this may be due to deals put under contract late last year and only closing this year. Inflation and elevated interest rates are still slowing down deals, Avison's Michael Fay said earlier this month. Apartment leasing has been clawing its way back over the past year, after demand couldn't keep up with the hefty deliveries of new units over the past three years. In the 12 months ending in the second quarter, new leasing reached 13,774 units, edging past the 12,751 units completed, marking the first time in three years that demand outpaced supply, according to CoStar Group. As the glut eased, landlords have pulled back on concessions, though some still include a month or two of free rent to sweeten deals for prospective tenants. Rents have been on a steady decline, with the average asking rate in South Florida settling at $2,279 in July, a 1.3 percent decrease year-over-year, according to Realtor.com. Cortland shed the Residences at Uptown Boca complex for $240 million in May, the same month the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints paid $240 million for a Boca Raton apartment complex. Those deals marked the biggest known South Florida multifamily sales so far this year. Other major sales this year include Dutch firm Breevast U.S. buying the multifamily property at 19401 West Dixie Highway in Miami for just under $110 million in May. Also, Harbor Group International paid $109 million this month for the 505-unit Emerald Palms apartment complex at 12315 Southwest 151st Street near Zoo Miami.

Northern Financial Review
Jan 26th, 2026
Canada Life lends £129M to refinance 50-storey Salford Build to Rent tower

Canada Life Asset Management has completed a £129 million fixed-rate loan to Cortland to refinance debt on Cortland at Colliers Yard, a 50-storey build-to-rent property in Salford comprising 559 apartments. The recently completed asset features extensive amenity space and strong environmental credentials. The transaction marks the first deal between Canada Life Asset Management and Cortland. The loan was led by Mandy Froede, director in Canada Life's real estate finance team, with support from Fieldfisher and Savills. Nicholas Bent, head of real estate finance at Canada Life Asset Management, said the facility reflects confidence in the Manchester asset and represents another milestone as the firm expands its presence in the build-to-rent finance market.

Property Week
Jan 26th, 2026
Cortland secures £129m loan to refinance 50-storey Manchester scheme

Cortland secures £129m loan to refinance 50-storey manchester scheme. The loan from Canada Life Asset Management refinances existing debt secured against the 559-home BTR tower. Want to keep reading? Unlock 9 free articles - your gateway to property intelligence. Register FREE today and enjoy 9 complimentary articles packed with: * Daily market briefings so you act faster on deals and developments * Finance insights to manage risk and spot opportunities. * Expert analysis that informs strategy and builds credibility * Sector-specific intelligence to identify risks and opportunities. * Legal and compliance updates to stay on the right side of regulation. * People moves to keep you connected with industry leaders. Ready for more? Subscribe today for unlimited access to the UK's most trusted property intelligence.

Informa TechTarget
Nov 18th, 2025
Elme separates from its chief information officer amid downsizing

Elme separates from its chief information officer amid downsizing. The announcement comes on the heels of the REIT's closing on the $1.6 billion sale of 19 properties to Cortland Partners. Dive brief: * Elme Communities announced a mutual separation with senior vice president and chief information officer Susan Gerock as part of a broader restructuring for the Bethesda, Maryland-based REIT, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. Gerock's resignation was effective on Nov. 14. * In addition, Elme announced the closing of the sale of 19 properties to an affiliate of Atlanta-based investor, developer and manager Cortland Partners for $1.6 billion in cash, according to a press release. It aims to sell all of its assets by June 2026. * As a result of the closing of the Cortland sale, the company will downsize its workforce, "with a focus on retaining an appropriate level of personnel with the necessary skill set commensurate with the reduced size of the company, including those executive officers and other key personnel necessary for the continued operation of the company's remaining assets and completion of the wind-down activities," according to the SEC filing. Dive insight: Elme's downsizing will affect both officers and other employees. As of Nov. 14, the REIT had approximately 117 employees, including approximately 73 persons engaged in community management functions. After initiating a "formal evaluation of strategic alternatives" earlier this year, Elme took the first step to liquidating the company by selling the 19-asset portfolio to Cortland Partners in August. In conjunction with the August sale announcement, the REIT's board of trustees approved a plan of sale and liquidation under which the company would market its remaining nine multifamily assets, as well as Watergate 600 - an office asset - with the goal of a sale in the next 12 months. Following the closing of the Cortland sale, Elme and certain subsidiaries entered into a loan agreement with Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as lender, for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $520 million and a maturity date of Nov. 9, 2026. The REIT has the option to extend for an additional year. The term loan is intended to be repaid with the net proceeds from sales of the properties securing the term loan. Elme intends to return net proceeds from the portfolio sale, and a portion of the proceeds from the new term loan, to shareholders through an initial special liquidating distribution, which is expected to be between $14.50 and $14.82 per common share. This should happen after taking into account repayment of all existing corporate indebtedness, payment of costs and expenses related to the transactions and establishment of reserves in connection with the new term loan. Elme expects the initial special liquidating distribution to be declared later this year and paid in January 2026, subject to approval by the REIT's board of trustees. "With the completion of the portfolio sale to Cortland, our focus is on monetizing the company's remaining assets and maximizing value for shareholders," Paul McDermott, president and CEO, said in last week's press release. "We launched the sale process in the third quarter of this year and are aiming to complete all remaining sales by June 2026. Our goal remains to sell all of Elme's assets as soon as practicable to accelerate the return of capital to shareholders." Over the past several years, Elme, formerly known as WashREIT until 2022, has expanded its presence outside the Washington, D.C., metro area by acquiring properties in Atlanta. Still, its stock continued to trade at a discount to values in the private market, forcing the REIT to explore alternatives.

AInvest Fintech Inc.
Aug 4th, 2025
Cortland Partners Acquires 19 Property Portfolio from Elme Communities for $1.6 Billion

Cortland Partners, LLC has agreed to acquire a 19-property portfolio from Elme Communities for $1.6 billion.