Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor
Milwaukee, WI · Real EstateTitle: Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor
Company: Acts Housing
Work Location: 2414 W. Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53205 (work will be at the office and in the field)
Would you like to work on a team transforming lives through homeownership while working at a fast-paced, exceptionally diverse, non-profit social enterprise? Acts Housing is a place where every individual’s contributions are honored and where there is significant opportunity for personal and professional growth as the organization rapidly expands to meet the needs of our communities.
Summary: The Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor will guide and support Spanish speaking Acts families through each stage of their home renovation process, from developing the scope of work on the property through project completion. The Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor will also assist with improving internal department processes and work collaboratively with other departments to deliver excellent family service. This position reports directly to the Lending Operations Director.
What you’ll do as a Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor:
- Provide direct support to Spanish speaking families throughout their home renovation, coaching them on how to find contractors, collect bids, review and approve contracts, and inspect progress.
- Create Scopes of Work for assigned properties and review scope in detail with family.
- Conduct pre-closing meetings with families to review Acts processes and procedures and begin planning home renovation first steps with families after home purchase.
- Track and manage families' home renovation budgets and timelines to ensure families complete their projects on time and on budget, or provide assistance when behind.
- Maintain CRM on a daily basis to track project updates, budget and timeline progress, family touch bases, and progress pictures.
- Conduct site inspections throughout home renovation process to ensure work is being completed in accordance with the scope and payment requests.
- Review submitted payment requests for home renovation work to ensure requests are within the scope and all required documents have been provided
- Identify and build relationships with contractors who can work with Acts families, and help train them on Acts procedures.
- Assist in efforts to identify areas of improvement in the home renovation department, and implement changes as needed.
- Work with volunteer coordinator to help identify potential volunteers needs and projects.
- Work with marketing department to identify families and projects that may make good marketing stories for Acts.
- Manage routine maintenance and repairs for Acts office building.
- Other duties as assigned by the Home Renovation Manager.
What we’re looking for in a Bilingual Home Renovation Advisor:
- High School Diploma or equivalent. Post-Secondary education (college) is preferred.
- 3+ years of experience/exposure to home renovation, remodeling, construction or rehab process.
- Valid Driver’s License and access to an insured vehicle to drive to site appointments.
- Knowledge of materials, methods and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures.
- Ability to provide high-quality customer and personal services and truly advise home owners of the process. This includes understanding customer needs, effective communication with customer and problem resolution skills.
- Strong communication and computer skills.
Skills and Experience:
- Ability to deliver high level of Family Service Excellence by focusing on customer service, including empathizing with customer needs, communicating effectively, and resolving disputes or complaints.
- Ability to write/speak fluently in Spanish.
- Experience with project management and effectively managing multiple projects and responsibilities at the same time.
- Knowledge of construction materials, methods and tools involved in home renovation/construction.
- Effective business skills, including time-management, resource allocation, team work, and analyzing problems and implementing solutions.
- Minimum three years of experience in home construction or home renovation fields
- Valid driver’s license, and using personal vehicle for work on a daily basis
- Ability to learn and proficiently use Acts’ CRM database and rehab scope software
- Proficiency with Microsoft office and using telephones and email in professional manner
- High School Graduate or equivalent; technical training preferred
- Occasional nights and weekend work, including representing Acts at occasional events
- Physical ability to walk through and access all areas of vacant homes, including attics and basements
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, or more with assistance
- Vision sufficient to visually observe detailed conditions of homes and structures
Benefits & Perks:
- Paid Time Off (15+ days based on tenure) plus 12 Paid Holidays and 4 Personal Half Days
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (United Healthcare)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- 401(k) with 3% Company Contribution
- Welfare Benefits Plan - term life, personal accident, and disability insurance
- Voluntary Life and Personal Accident Insurance
- Adoption Assistance Program
- Maternity/Paternity/Adoption Leave
- Paid Bereavement Leave
- Commuter Benefits Program
- Payroll Direct Deposit and Debit Card Options
- Access to online library of 3,000 courses and 20,000 digital books
- Discounts to various goods and services via the Insperity MarketPlace
About Acts Housing:
Over its 27-year history, Acts housing has helped more than 3,500 low-to-moderate income families achieve homeownership; 1000 of those families reclaimed distressed properties with Acts' support. Acts' full suite of homeownership services makes it a nationally recognized leader in homeownership, with significant demand both from our neighbors and community stakeholders to do even more to support new and existing markets. In 2022 alone, Acts supported more than 300 families to transition from renters to owners.
Acts is a dynamic and growing organization that added 19 new employees in 2022 to better meet the needs of families in the markets we currently serve (Milwaukee and Beloit) and future markets that are eager to benefit from our homeownership services. Key programs include homebuyer education, real estate brokerage, home rehab coaching, and lending. Additionally, in 2022 Acts launched a homeownership acquisition fund with a goal of combatting predatory investment by purchasing 100+ homes annually and offering them exclusively to owner occupants.
Click on this link to watch a short 3-minute video about Acts Housing before applying.
Acts Housing embraces equity and inclusion. We seek a diverse pool of candidates for our open positions knowing that a team comprised of people with unique characteristics, experiences and identity allow us to better serve our communities.