Franchise Director of Real Estate

Scenthound Franchising

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Franchise Director of Real Estate is responsible for leading the company's franchise real estate strategy by assisting franchisees in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and securing optimal locations for new franchise businesses. This position partners closely with Franchise Development, Operations, Construction, and external real estate professionals to ensure franchise growth objectives are met while maintaining brand standards and market strategy. The ideal candidate has extensive commercial real estate experience, strong negotiation skills, and a deep understanding of site selection, lease negotiations, and franchise development.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Finance, or related field preferred.
7–10 years of commercial real estate experience.
Franchise or multi-unit retail/service industry experience preferred.
Experience with lease negotiations and LOI preparation.
Knowledge of demographic analysis and market planning.
Strong understanding of retail site selection.
Excellent negotiation and relationship-building skills.
Strong project management abilities.
Ability to manage multiple development projects simultaneously.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and CRM/project management software.
Ability to travel up to 40%.

Nice To Haves

Commercial real estate brokerage experience.
Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) or similar designation preferred.
Existing network of national commercial real estate brokers.
Experience supporting franchise development organizations.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the company's real estate strategy to support franchise growth goals.
Partner with franchise development to identify target markets based on demographic and market analysis.
Assist franchisees with market planning and territory evaluation.
Conduct site selection analysis using demographic, traffic, and competitive data.
Review Letters of Intent (LOIs), leases, and site plans for compliance with company standards.
Own the Real Estate Committee process: assemble and present site acceptance packages, and drive a consistent, predictable acceptance cadence
Recommend acceptance or rejection of prospective locations.
Continuously improve and standardize site-selection, negotiation, and committee-approval processes and documentation
Serve as the primary real estate advisor throughout the franchise site selection and lease negotiation processes.
Educate franchisees on the company's real estate process, timeline, and expectations at each stage of development.
Coordinate with franchisees, commercial brokers, landlords, attorneys, architects, and contractors.
Manage expectations and maintain regular communication throughout the development process.
Provide negotiation support to franchise partners for favorable lease terms and tenant improvement allowances.
Review lease language and coordinate with legal counsel as needed.
Ensure lease agreements align with company standards and franchise requirements.
Assist franchisees with lease renewals, relocations, and expansions.
Research emerging markets and evaluate opportunities for expansion.
Monitor commercial real estate trends, rental rates, and competitive activity.
Prepare pipeline, conversion, and development metric reports for executive leadership
Partner with Construction and Design teams to ensure sites meet operational requirements.
Partner with Operations to ensure locations support long-term business success.
Partner with Finance on real estate forecasting and budgeting.
Partner with Franchise Development to improve conversion timelines.
Develop and maintain relationships with national and regional commercial real estate brokers.
Establish preferred vendor relationships.
Attend ICSC Conferences and other related real estate conferences and events
Evaluate broker performance and market coverage.
Track all real estate projects through the development pipeline.
Maintain accurate project documentation and timelines.
Prepare reports on development metrics, site approvals, lease execution, and project status.
Ensure compliance with franchise agreements and corporate standards.