Property Accountant

JLL•Chicago, IL

10h•$70,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Property Accountant at JLL, you'll serve as a critical financial steward for our commercial real estate portfolio, ensuring accurate accounting operations and seamless financial reporting for our clients. This role combines technical accounting expertise with real estate industry knowledge to maintain the financial health of property operations. You'll partner closely with Property Managers and senior finance leadership to deliver precise financial statements, manage cash operations, and support strategic decision-making. Your work directly impacts client satisfaction and portfolio performance, making you an integral part of JLL's commitment to exceptional property management services. This position offers the opportunity to develop specialized real estate accounting skills while working with sophisticated properties and gaining exposure to complex financial operations in one of the world's leading commercial real estate firms.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting from an accredited institution.
Minimum 2 years of real estate accounting experience, with demonstrated understanding of property-level financial operations and reporting requirements.
Proficiency in Yardi Accounting software and advanced Excel skills for financial analysis and reporting.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting and reconciliations.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to collaborate effectively across property management teams, senior finance leadership, and external stakeholders.
Proven ability to multitask effectively and work successfully under pressure while consistently meeting client deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Results-driven mindset with demonstrated ability to prioritize workload, adapt to varying client requirements, and maintain effectiveness across multiple properties and tasks simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Experience with monthly property management fee calculations and loan compliance reporting preparation.
Familiarity with commercial lease structures, tenant escalation billing, and annual reconciliation processes.
Knowledge of sales tax, personal property tax, and business tax filing requirements for commercial real estate.
Experience supporting external audits and preparing audit packages for partners, tenants, or regulatory agencies.
Understanding of fixed asset sub-ledger maintenance and capital expenditure tracking for real estate portfolios.
Exposure to annual operating and capital budget preparation processes for commercial properties.
Background in preparing financial reporting packages for multiple stakeholders including investors, lenders, and property ownership groups.

Responsibilities

Monitor and manage daily cash positions across property portfolios, recording all cash activity through accurate journal entries to maintain real-time financial visibility.
Review and approve accounts payable and receivable batches daily, ensuring proper coding, appropriate approvals, supporting documentation, and accurate application of payments and receipts.
Process check runs, wire transfers, and payment requests using Yardi accounting software while maintaining proper controls and authorization protocols.
Research and reconcile unclassified cash receipts in collaboration with Property Managers and Tenant Administrators to ensure complete and accurate revenue recognition.
Prepare monthly bank reconciliations for all property accounts, identifying and resolving reconciling items promptly to maintain accurate cash reporting.
Generate monthly financial close entries including accruals, prepaid expenses, deferred rent, depreciation, amortization, and lease accounting adjustments to support both cash and accrual basis reporting.
Review lease abstracts and maintain tenant data accuracy within Yardi's Commercial Management module, ensuring billing systems reflect current lease terms and obligations.