Account Settlement Specialist - Atlanta, GA
At Cortland, we operate with a forward-thinking approach that challenges conventional norms and actively seeks insights beyond traditional industry boundaries. As a recognized leader in the multifamily sector, our focus on performance, innovation, and disciplined execution continues to drive strong growth and market leadership. We are committed to building a best-in-class organization by empowering top talent with the resources, autonomy, and support needed to deliver results and advance their careers in a high-performance environment.
Role Overview
The Account Settlement Specialist is responsible for managing resident balances after account closure, focusing on dispute resolution, settlement activity, and recovery of delinquent accounts. This role serves as the primary point of contact for former residents regarding outstanding balances and works to resolve accounts accurately, compliantly, and respectfully. Through consistent follow‑up, documentation, and customer‑focused communication, the Account Settlement Specialist supports recovery goals while protecting the Cortland brand and complying with legal and lease requirements.
By resolving balances accurately and professionally, the Account Settlement Specialist directly improves cash recovery, reduces write‑offs, and limits legal escalation. This role ensures delinquent balances are managed consistently, compliantly, and with respect—protecting Cortland’s financial performance and brand reputation. Strong performance in this role results in higher recovery rates, cleaner financial reporting, and a more consistent post move‑out resident experience across the portfolio.
Account Resolution & Collections
- Manage a portfolio of assigned resident accounts post move‑out
- Communicate with former residents to resolve balances, disputes, billing questions, and documentation requests
- Negotiate settlements and payment plans within established guidelines
- Resolve disputes through education, documentation review, and lease interpretation
- Coordinate recovery efforts in compliance with lease terms, Fair Debt Collection practices, and applicable state and local regulations
- Support department recovery goals while maintaining a professional, resident‑focused experience
Payment Processing & Reconciliation
- Receive and ensure payments are posted accurately in OneSite
- Process payments over the phone by credit card, ACH, and approved payment methods
- Reconcile daily payments and verify cash reports against collections activity
- Assist with tracking recoveries and providing payment status updates or reporting as requested
Documentation & Compliance
- Maintain complete and accurate account documentation, including Final Account Statements, invoices, payment records, and correspondence
- Thoroughly document all residents and third‑party communications in the collections system
- Ensure compliance with lease terms, Fair Debt Collection practices, internal Standards of Excellence, and company policies
- Adhere to PCI compliance requirements and payment handling protocols
- Complete and file surety bond claims (e.g., Jetty or other guarantor programs) accurately and timely when applicable
- Identify, document, and escalate discrepancies, compliance risks, or legal concerns appropriately
Collaboration & Escalation Support
- Partner with Revenue Recovery, onsite teams, Accounting, and internal support teams to resolve account issues
- Coordinate with third‑party collection agencies for eligible accounts and support placement readiness
- Assist with account transitions to third‑party collections when applicable
- Participate in team meetings, training, and continuous improvement initiatives
- Escalate complex disputes, legal matters, or documentation gaps per established workflow
Qualifications
- High school diploma required; some college preferred
- 2+ years of expeience in collections, property management, customer service, or a related field.
- Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to deal with customers in a friendly, courteous, timely, and thorough manner
- High level of organizational skills, time-management expertise, and attention to detail; ability to prioritize workload and meet tight deadlines
- Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Strong negotiation skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; OneSite or collections system experience preferred
About Cortland
Founded in 2005, Cortland is an international, vertically integrated multifamily real estate investment, development, and management firm with a resident-centric approach to living experiences. Recognized as one of the top 10 multifamily owners and operators in the US, Cortland combines in-house design, construction, and operations to deliver value and innovation across its portfolio.
Join us as we reimagine apartment living and drive outsized returns through purpose, performance, and people.
Cortland is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud to support and celebrate diversity in the workplace. We are committed to equal consideration for all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you have a disability and need an accommodation or assistance with the application process and/or using our website, please email Careers@cortland.com
Cortland is a drug-free workplace.
Cortland participates in e-verify to verify the employment status of all persons hired to work in the United States.
California Applicant Privacy Notice
We collect personal information from all job applicants, including identifiers (e.g., name, contact details), professional or employment information (e.g., résumé, work history, qualifications), and education information. This information is used for recruiting, evaluating your candidacy, conducting interviews, and managing the application process.
California residents may request access to or deletion of their personal information by contacting us at careers@cortland.com
GDPR Statement
When you apply to a job on this site, the personal data contained in your application will be collected by Cortland (“Controller”), which is located at 3424 Peachtree RD NE Suite 300 Atlanta, GA and can be contacted by emailing careers@cortland.com because Controller wishes to evaluate your candidacy for employment at Controller. Your personal data was either obtained from publicly available sources (e.g. LinkedIn) or provided to Controller by someone who referred you for potential employment. Controller’s data protection officer is Greg Shultz, who can be contacted at Greg.Shultz@cortland.com. Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of managing Controller’s recruitment related activities, which include setting up and conducting interviews and tests for applicants, evaluating and assessing the results thereto, and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment and hiring processes. Such processing is legally permissible under Art. 6(1)(f) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) as necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the Controller, which are the solicitation, evaluation, and selection of applicants for employment.
Your personal data has been shared with Greenhouse Software, Inc., a cloud services provider located in the United States of America and engaged by Controller to help manage its recruitment and hiring process on Controller’s behalf. Accordingly, if you are located outside of the United States, your personal data has been transferred to the United States. Because the European Union Commission has determined that United States data privacy laws do not ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data collected from EU data subjects, the transfer was subject to appropriate additional safeguards under [either the standard contractual clauses or the Privacy Shield]. You can obtain a copy of the standard contractual clauses by contacting us at careers@cortland.com
Your personal data will be retained by Controller as long as Controller determines it is necessary to evaluate your application for employment. Under the GDPR, you have the right to request access to your personal data, to request that your personal data be rectified or erased, and to request that processing of your personal data be restricted. You also have to right to data portability. In addition, you may lodge a complaint with an EU supervisory authority.
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