James J Ellsberry
Chicago,IL
Summary
Class A Property Manager with 10+ years of experience overseeing multifamily, retail, and mixed-use portfolios (up to 1,500+ units). Expertise in tenant retention, capital projects, budgeting, lease-ups, and compliance with fair housing regulations. Proven track record of increasing occupancy, reducing expenses, and leading high-performing teams. Adept in vendor negotiation, customer service, and financial reporting.
Overview
1
1
Certification
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Multi-Family/Commercial Property Manager
Novak Construction Company
Chicago, IL
01.2026 - 08.2026
- Increased occupancy from 2% to 85% in 6 months through targeted leasing initiatives.
- Managed daily operations of commercial properties, ensuring optimal tenant satisfaction and property performance.
- Managed occupancy increase from 2% to 85% over 6 months through targeted efforts.
- Coordinated maintenance requests and vendor contracts, ensuring property standards and reducing response times by streamlining processes.
- Coordinated maintenance requests and vendor contracts to uphold property standards and reduce response times.
- Monitored delinquency metrics, consistently maintaining delinquency percentage below 1%, supporting collection targets.
- Managed the upgraded AppFolio software rollout by coordinating migration-related activities and system readiness.
- Assisted the Vice President of Development with implementing Standard Operating Procedures
Property Manager- Lease Up
Marquette Management
Chicago
08 2024 - Current
- Successfully led the lease-up of a new multifamily community, raising occupancy from 82% to 97% within 3 months.
- Oversaw end-to-end application handling for ARO, market rate, and CHA voucher applicants, including submission management and status tracking.
- Created accurate leasing reports and occupancy forecasts for ownership and senior management. Weekly.
- Oversaw daily property operations, coordinating maintenance and vendor management while ensuring budget adherence.
- Analyzed market trends to adjust rental rates and maintain competitive positioning.
- Mentored junior staff in customer service best practices and property management procedures.
Community Manager
Morguard
Chicago
02 2023 - 08 2024
- Led property acquisition coordination with Greystar, ensuring timely transfer of property assets.
- Managed community budgets, reducing costs by 11% through efficient resource allocation.
- Improved tenant satisfaction through proactive issue resolution and resident engagement.
- Developed and maintained yearly budget by compiling monthly reports and maintaining accurate documentation.
- Managed community budgets, achieving an 11% cost reduction through strategic resource allocation.
- Directed full capital project cycle, ensuring oversight from project start through end-of-project closeout.
Multi-Site Property Manager
Mac Properties
Chicago, IL
05 2022 - 02 2023
- Managed 8 buildings with 1,500 apartments and 2 commercial tenants, achieving 90%+ occupancy.
- Directed daily operations, leasing, and maintenance for multiple multifamily communities, enhancing service delivery and tenant satisfaction.
- Directed coordination across cross-functional teams, supervising union maintenance staff (96 personnel), resident services (15 personnel) concierge team (10 personnel) for consistent operational coverage.
- Collaborated with senior stakeholders to maintain budget compliance and drive profitability across multiple properties.
- Coordinated tenant programs to boost engagement and increase retention rates within communities.
- Assisted with implementation planning, onboarding support, operational adoption, and workflow alignment
Resident Care Manager
Mac Properties
Kansas City, MO
10 2021 - 05 2022
- Supervised resident relations for over 2,000 apartments, reducing tenant complaints by 22%.
- Worked with maintenance to improve service response times, decreasing unresolved work orders by 30%.
- Managed administrative functions related to resident communication, scheduling, and conflict resolution.
- Assisted in coordinating events and tenant programs to foster community engagement and satisfaction.
Property Manager
City Club Apartments LLC
Kansas City, MO
01 2021 - 09 2021
- Increased occupancy by 20% through effective marketing and lease strategies.
- Managed monthly operating budgets, maintaining cost controls and reducing expenses by 15%.
- Led and completed multiple renovation and maintenance projects, ensuring all were completed on time and 5% under budget.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management, German
Wayne State University
Skills
- Leasing management
- Lease-up management
- Tenant relations
- Budget management
- Capital renovations
- Vendor management
- Process Optimization
- Digital Transformation
- Yardi
- RealPage
- Entrata
- Salesforce
- Appfolio
- Team Leadership & Training
- Client success
- HUD/Section 8 Knowledge
- Property Development
Certification
- Illinois Residential Leasing License
Timeline
Multi-Family/Commercial Property Manager
Novak Construction Company
01.2026 - 08.2026
Property Manager- Lease Up
Marquette Management
08 2024 - Current
Community Manager
Morguard
02 2023 - 08 2024
Multi-Site Property Manager
Mac Properties
05 2022 - 02 2023
Resident Care Manager
Mac Properties
10 2021 - 05 2022
Property Manager
City Club Apartments LLC
01 2021 - 09 2021
Bachelor of Science - Business Management, German
Wayne State University