A commercial developer sales manager leads the people who lease and sell the company's buildings. They set lease-up targets for each building, work deals with outside brokers, shape the rent, free rent and build-out terms in each proposal, and sign pre-leases and build-to-suit deals before the building is done.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Lead the strategic sales initiatives for the commercial building and development segment. Guide and mentor a high-performing sales team to exceed revenue targets and secure new development contracts. Play a crucial role in expanding the company’s market presence and driving sustainable growth.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee and manage the sales team to ensure achievement of quarterly and annual revenue goals.
Develop and implement innovative sales strategies tailored to commercial builders and developers.
Identify, pursue, and secure new development contracts and business opportunities.
Cultivate and maintain robust relationships with key industry stakeholders and decision-makers.
Analyze market trends and competitor activities to inform sales tactics and planning.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily team meetings and individual performance reviews to keep the sales strategies on track.
Monitor and evaluate sales data, making adjustments to strategies as needed.
Engage with prospective clients through calls, meetings, and presentations to secure contracts.
Coordinate with the marketing and operations teams to align sales initiatives with overall company objectives.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Monthly revenue target: Achieve a minimum of $500,000 in sales revenue.
New contracts secured: Secure at least 5 new development contracts per quarter.
Sales team performance: Maintain a 95% target achievement rate across the team.
Client satisfaction: Achieve a customer feedback rating of >4.5 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in sales management, preferably in related industries.
Proven leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire a team.
Strong analytical abilities and proficiency in CRM software and Microsoft Office.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and customer service skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience working within the commercial building, development, or construction industries.
Demonstrated success in securing large-scale property development contracts.
History of implementing successful business development and sales growth strategies.
Experience in high-stakes negotiation and client relationship management.
7. Physical Requirements
Frequent travel to client sites and construction locations.
Ability to work in dynamic environments including occasional extended hours.
Prolonged periods of sitting for office-based work.
Ability to lift up to 20 lbs for transporting sales and marketing materials.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Fast-paced office environment with a strong focus on team collaboration.
Occasional travel for client meetings, industry events, and site visits.
Flexibility to work weekends during critical business periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $90,000 - $120,000 per year.
Performance-based commission and bonus structure.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401k plan with company matching contributions.
Additional benefits include paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and continuous growth.
We empower our team members to excel and encourage creative problem-solving across all levels.
Our collaborative environment is dedicated to building lasting relationships with clients and partners.
We are committed to your professional development and success, providing the tools and support needed to thrive.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A contractor's sales manager sells work to owners. At a builder-developer the company owns the buildings, so the team leases and sells its own space, often before it's built, and each deal shapes a building's income for years.
Who on your team needs a real estate license
States set their own rules; Texas is one example. Its license law doesn't apply to an owner, or the owner's employee, who leases the owner's real estate. It also leaves out a person an owner employs to sell buildings the owner put up in its business. Employees of an LLC or limited partnership, or of its manager or general partner, who negotiate that company's deal on the job are left out too. With one company per building, have counsel confirm which one employs your team. Source: Texas Occupations Code section 1101.005: Applicability of the real estate license law.
Every broker's commission in one log
Outside brokers bring many tenants and buyers, each under a signed commission agreement. In Texas, a licensed broker who earned a commission under an agreement your company signed as seller or landlord has a lien on its interest once the broker records a notice, if the agreement disclosed that right. Putting a lease commission agreement inside the lease waives the lien, but a buyer of the building is then bound by it. Before a sale closes, the buyer may ask for a sworn list of brokers still owed. Source: Texas Property Code chapter 62: Broker's lien on commercial real estate.
Price the build-out before you offer it
Tenants weigh the allowance, free rent and lease term together. Before a proposal goes out, the sales manager gets a test fit from the architect and a build-out price from construction. Then they check the deal's net rent against the building's pro forma. An allowance offered without a price behind it can leave the company paying for space the rent never covers.
Specs in a proposal come from the drawings
Pre-leases and build-to-suit deals are sold off plans. Clear height, dock doors, power, parking counts and storefront width all turn into promises. The sales manager checks each one with the project manager against the current drawings before it goes in a proposal. A spec the drawings don't support either gets built at the company's cost or costs it the deal.
Lease-up is tracked against the pro forma
Each building's pro forma assumes when every suite will lease and when its rent will start. The sales manager reports leasing against that plan every month: tours, proposals, letters of intent, signed leases and rent start dates. A lease signed on time can still start paying late if the build-out runs long, so they track both dates.
How much commercial developer sales managers make
Sales managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $163,900 a year ($78.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $148,270 median for sales managers in all industries. About 1,150 of the 637,080 sales managers in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
Base salary plus commission and bonus, as the template sets it. Before you pay your own staff commission on leases or sales, have counsel confirm the licensing exemption you rely on covers that pay in each state you build in.
Commercial building contractors
$163,900$163,900 median Middle half $125,340–$207,260 10th–90th $75,490–$284,860
All industries
$148,270$148,270 median Middle half $100,360–$207,340 10th–90th $73,170–$290,540
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k$350k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Commercial building contractors
$75,490
$125,340
$163,900
$207,260
$284,860
All industries
$73,170
$100,360
$148,270
$207,340
$290,540
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial developers on their own. These figures cover nonresidential building construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has leased or sold office, retail or industrial space
Builds a lease proposal and works out its net effective rent
Runs a pipeline of tours, proposals and letters of intent with brokers
Reads a lease and spots terms that will cost the owner later
Coaches leasing reps and holds them to weekly numbers
Teach these on the job
Your buildings, their specs and the tenants you go after
Your lease forms, work letter and approval limits
Your pro forma and how each deal moves it
What typical build-outs cost in your buildings
Your CRM and listing services
Expect a CRM for the leasing pipeline, Excel or lease analysis software for comparing proposals, and CoStar for market rents and recent leases. Say who drafts your leases, since some sales managers settle the business terms and leave the drafting to counsel.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Qualifying build-to-suit deals
Your team spends months on build-to-suit prospects who never commit. How do you tighten qualifying?
A strong answer: Sets criteria (site control, budget, decision makers, timeline, financing), adds stage gates, and tracks conversion by stage.
Behavioral · Winning development contracts
Tell me about a development contract you helped win against strong competition. What tipped the decision?
A strong answer: Names the client insight, how the team and approach answered the client's real concern, and their own part in it.
The template's dollar and deal targets assume a steady flow of sales. Set yours by building, from each pro forma's lease-up plan.
Monthly revenue target
One way to count it: total base rent over the term of leases signed, plus sale contracts closed each month, by building. Report it beside what the pro forma expected for that month.
New contracts secured
Signed leases, sale contracts and build-to-suit agreements each quarter, counted when fully signed, not at the letter of intent. Note which broker brought each one.
Sales team performance
Each leasing rep's signed deals and pipeline against their own target, from the CRM, reviewed weekly. Watch tours and proposals too, since a lease can take months to sign.
Client satisfaction
Ask new tenants and buyers for a score after move-in or closing, and ask the brokers who brought them. Low scores often trace to something promised during the deal.
Should a developer use outside brokers or its own leasing team?
Many use both. Your team knows the buildings, the costs and the pro forma. Outside brokers know which tenants in the market are looking. The general manager picks the listing broker and agrees its fee. The sales manager runs each deal once a tenant shows up, and keeps the team and the brokers working one prospect list, so two people never pitch the same tenant.
How much does a commercial developer sales manager make?
Sales managers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $163,900 a year ($78.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $125,340 and $207,260 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What is a letter of intent in a lease deal?
It's a short summary of the main terms, such as the space, rent, term, free rent, allowance and dates, that both sides sign before anyone drafts the lease. Many say they aren't binding except for a few points, like confidentiality. The sales manager uses it to get the deal approved inside the company before counsel spends time on a lease.
Can the sales manager sell build-to-suit projects?
Yes, and that fits the template's goal of new development contracts. A build-to-suit starts with a user, such as a retailer or a distributor, who needs a building that doesn't exist yet. The sales manager brings the user in, then works with the CEO and construction on the site, the design and the price before a lease or sale contract is signed.
How is a leasing manager different from a property manager?
The leasing manager fills empty space and signs new tenants. The property manager runs the building once tenants move in: rent, shared costs, vendors and repairs. At a developer, renewals often stay with the leasing side, since losing a tenant means another lease-up and another build-out.
What exercise shows a strong developer sales manager?
Give them a sample proposal from a tenant's broker for one of your buildings, along with a simple pro forma, and ask them to counter on rent, free rent, allowance and term. Strong candidates ask what the build-out costs, how long the space has sat empty and what the lender expects before they answer.
