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Senior Real Estate Specialist

Salary

$92,081.60 - $111,945.60 Annually

Location

Tacoma, WA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

0401-25

Department

Public Works

Division

PW Facilities Management

Opening Date

11/13/2025

Closing Date

12/1/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Position Description

The City of Tacoma is establishing a list for the Senior Real Estate Specialist classification . This list will be used for a period of one year to fill vacancies in this classification. This is a represented position, and will be located at either the City's Municipal Building or Tacoma Public Utilities. This position may service all General Government Departments or Tacoma Public Utilities Divisions. We are looking for a results oriented person who is interested in diverse and challenging real property, right of way and/or utility projects to join our dynamic Real Property Services team.

This is the second level in the real estate classification series. Positions in this classification serve as technical experts for their clients. The responsibilities of this classification include providing professional, high level services in property management, acquisition, disposition, research, rights-of-way and utility property rights and management.

If the below list of personal traits sounds like you, then you are just the type of person we are searching for to join our team!

+ Outgoing, positive personality who enjoys leading project teams on complex projects,

+ Excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills,

+ Strong personal motivation and drive – an ambitious and committed self-starter

+ Strong commitment to creating and maintaining an equitable, anti-racist environment within both the Organization and the Community.

+ Detail-oriented with strong follow-through.

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, the successful Senior Real Estate Specialist candidate will demonstrate skill and ability toper form the following job duties:

+ Review and provide comment on submitted plans utilizing the City's Accela electronic program.

+ Review permit requests for compliance with City, State and Federal codes and laws regarding rights of way and City-owned real property.

+ Prepare and manage a variety of real property/right of way agreements with third parties.

+ Prepare or participate in necessary real property activities and studies associated with capital projects such as: title research/review, plan/survey review, preparation/review of project notification letters, preparation/review of cost estimates; mitigation studies and assemblage of properties; negotiate with property owners; permit with State, Federal, Tribal agencies as may be required.

+ Be familiar with WSDOT ROW Manual and LAG Manual. Prepare Project Funding Estimates, True Cost Estimates, and Administrative Offer Summaries as may be required.

+ Utilize the City's Ariba Spend Management electronic program to secure contracts for real property/right of way related vendors and consultants.

+ Complete daily time-keeping in ClickTime and weekly time-keeping in SAP.

+ Assist in city arterial projects. Coordinate title work, survey work, real property appraisals; and review appraisals as may be required and assure all are in compliance with local, state and federal regulations.

+ Establish and maintain effective working relationships with agencies, including but not limited to, Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, FHWA, WSDOT, Pierce County, Port of Tacoma, Sound Transit, Pierce County, Army Corp Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs and with other entities such as BNSF Railway Co.

+ Prepare and manage a variety of written materials related to real property transactions including communication with property owners and interested parties, letters of intent, City Council and Utility Board memorandum and resolutions for action.

Our Ideal Candidate will have:

+ Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with internal and external clients;

+ Experience and familiarity with real property title concepts and instruments;

+ Experience and familiarity with real property management concepts and instruments, including lease and agreement creation and management;

+ Ability to read, analyze and review land surveys, construction plans, building plans and specifications;

+ Knowledge and skill using Geographic Information System (GIS) for property records research and maintenance;

+ Real property / right of way acquisition experience;

+ Knowledge in determining property valuation and appraisal concepts;

+ Skill in a variety of research methods, particularly internet, courthouse and recorded documents;

+ Knowledge of database principles and practices.

+ Knowledge of survey concepts;

+ Experience and familiarity with AutoCAD.

Essential Duties:

The Senior Real Estate Specialist is a union-represented position; the scope of work may include but is not limited to the following class specification essential duties:

+ Work on various real estate projects for a variety of stakeholders and customers including acquisitions, dispositions, research, and issue resolution.

+ Analyze title reports, contracts, judgments, court records, and other documents to determine legal status and effect upon title. Verify titles and records of deeds, easements and permits. Research RCW's, WAC's and local regulations and code for compliance in the acquisition, sale, lease and management of real property, vacation of street right of way and franchises.

+ Manage City's real property and rights of way to detect and resolve problems involving encroachments, abuses, dumping and safety.

+ Negotiate real property rights.

+ Coordinate real estate closing process with escrow agencies in compliance with accepted business practices.

+ Coordinate the appraisal and review appraisals with qualified certified appraisers; ensure appraisal is in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and policies. Evaluate and make recommendation on the value for use of City property.

+ Prepare and maintain a variety of real property records, reports, maps, files and correspondence; interpret and write legal descriptions.

+ Work safely and cooperatively with coworkers and the public.

+ Perform related duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

Typical office environment with field work involving driving vehicles; working outdoors in all types of weather conditions and traversing uneven terrain as necessary.

Occasionally working evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

An equivalent combination to:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with specialization in Land Management, Business Administration, Property Management or related field

AND

Two years' experience in the real estate field;

OR

Two years' college education in the above fields with three years' related experience in the real estate field;

OR

Four years' experience in real estate.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Valid Washington State driver's license at time of appointment and maintenance thereafter.

Obtain State Notary license within 6 months of being hired and maintenance thereafter.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience with the following:

+ Drafting and interpreting legal instruments regarding real property

+ Negotiating with owners for real property rights

+ Permitting with agencies

+ Property research and right of way management

+ Management of real property and any associated leases, licenses, permits and agreements related to the same

Knowledge & Skills

KNOWLEDGE OF:

Effective project management techniques.

Real estate, title and appraisal work and practices used in real property transactions.

Methods and techniques used in managing, valuing, purchasing and selling real property.

Federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to real estate acquisition and appraisal, including Eminent Domain and Uniform Relocation Act.

Legal instruments affecting the transfer, sale and lease of real property.

Survey principles and legal description requirements as they relate to interpreting and writing legal descriptions.

Basic math.

SKILLS:

Effective project management skills.

Excellent customer service skills.

Communicate effectively with others both orally and in writing and maintain effective public relations.

Read and interpret engineering plans, property maps, and title reports.

Interpret and write legal descriptions.

Estimate real property value.

Work independently and exercise sound judgment.

Use personal computers and associated software such as word processing and spreadsheets.

Maintain records and prepare reports.

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

A Commitment to Equity & Diversity

At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

The Community

Tacoma is centrally located just 32 miles south of the city of Seattle and 31 miles north of the state capital, Olympia. The City of Tacoma is also home to the Port of Tacoma, which is among the largest container ports in the United States. Like most cities in the northwest, Tacoma is surrounded by beautiful nature, offering residents many opportunities for outdoor adventures.

Largely suburban in nature with a small, but dense, urban core, Tacoma is home to numerous institutes of higher learning that attract students from across the country. The University of Washington Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, a satellite campus of the Evergreen State College, three community/technical colleges, and several trade and business schools are within Tacoma's geographic area. Downtown's Cultural District is the site of the Washington State History Museum, Museum of Glass, the Tacoma Art Museum, and America's Car Museum.

With its affordable housing and distinctive neighborhoods and business districts, the city has been recognized numerous times as a best city to live in the nation. To see a few of the great things Tacoma has to offer, view this YouTube Video!

View this exciting video to learn more about the City of Tacoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5MWl8KFvI

Apply

Interested individuals must complete the online application and attach a detailed resume and cover letter that includes major responsibilities and accomplishments related to this position by the closing date listed on this announcement.

Examination Process

This is a competitive selection process. Applicants will be required to respond to written questions outlining their experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the essential functions of this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to Supplemental Questions #7 to #12 reviewed and scored by a committee of subject matter experts, as the Experience and Training Test. These questions will be scored based on the information provided. It is the responsibility of the applicants to adequately describe all pertinent experience and training. Please make sure you read the questions and provide complete informative answers, including your roles in the position and key activities. DO NOT respond with ‘see resume’ in lieu of answering these questions; this will result in a failing score. Providing false information will result in disqualification.

Accommodations: We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during this process, please contact Human Resources at (253) 591-5400.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.

Get Assistance

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 p.m. of the closing date of the job announcement.

For technical difficulties using the Neogov system, call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Hourly Rate: $44.27 - $53.82

Annual Salary: $92,081.60 - $111,945.60

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma (https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/human-resources/employee-benefits/)

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

01

Responses to supplemental questions must be original content created by the applicant using their own words. The use of online tools or resources to create responses, such as Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.), Google, Bing, etc., or plagiarism in any form, is considered cheating and falsification of the application. I understand that any form of cheating or falsification will disqualify my application for further consideration.

+ Yes

+ No

02

Check the box that best describes your education and work experience as related to this position.

+ Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with specialization in Land Management, Business Administration, Property Management or related field and two years' experience in the real estate field

+ Two years' college education in the above fields with three years' related experience in the real estate field

+ Four years' experience in real estate

+ None of the above

03

Do you possess or will you possess a valid Washington State driver's license at time of appointment and maintenance thereafter?

+ Yes

+ No

04

Do you possess or will you be able to obtain State Notary license within 6 months of being hired and maintenance thereafter?

+ Yes

+ No

05

Please select any of the following certifications or designations you currently hold that pertain to this position. Include copies in your application as appropriate.

+ SRWA

+ MA

+ SRA

+ Other

06

Please select the number of years of that best describe your experience working in real property and/or right of way fields.

+ 0 to 2 years

+ 2 to 4 years

+ 4 to 6 years

+ 6 to 8 years

+ 8 to 10 years

+ 10 or more years

07

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING TEST:

Questions #8-13 are the experience and training test that will be used to establish the eligibility list for this position. These questions will be scored by subject matter experts who will not have full access to your application materials, and will provide scores based solely upon your answers to the supplemental questions. Your answers must stand on their own merit. DO NOT respond with "see resume" in lieu of answering this question, as raters will not have access to your resume or application and this will result in a score of 0 points. Your score on the experience and training test will solely reflect your responses to the questions asked, so please make sure you read the questions and provide complete informative answers.

Please indicate "Yes" that you have read and understand the instructions for questions #8-13.

+ Yes

+ No

08

Please describe your experience communicating with your co-workers, Councils and Boards, the public and/or individual property owners. If you have no relevant experience, respond with N/A.

09

Describe your experience reviewing and providing comments on complex permits, appraisals, site plans, and schematics. If you have no relevant experience, respond with N/A.

10

Describe your experience leading a complex real property and/or right of way (transportation or utility) project: include your position title, number of years where you worked leading projects and your responsibilities. If you have no relevant experience leading projects, respond with N/A.

11

Describe your experience managing complex negotiations and continued maintenance of real property and right of way agreements, such as leases, franchises, Interlocal Agreements, and Right of Use Agreements. If you have no relevant experience, respond with N/A.

12

Explain your experience where you managed multiple clients. Please include a discussion of any significant challenges you faced; and how these challenges were overcome, particularly in relation to client expectations. If you have no relevant experience in this area, respond with "N/A."

13

What experience do you have in relating with people whose ethnic, gender or cultural backgrounds are different than your own? Describe a specific situation in which you worked with a diverse group of people to create an anti-discriminatory culture, policy, or process. Based on this experience, what did you learn?

14

Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.

+ Job Interest Card notification

+ Internet search

+ Professional organization

+ Community organization

+ Military organization

+ Union job posting

+ City of Tacoma employee

+ Online job board posting

+ Word of mouth

+ Other

15

Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings. Thank you.

Required Question

Employer

City of Tacoma

Address

Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764

Phone

253-591-5400

Website

http://www.tacoma.gov

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