Claims Manager

Fairstead is a purpose-driven real estate firm dedicated to building sustainable communities across the country. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Colorado, Florida, and Washington DC, Fairstead owns a portfolio of more than 25,000 apartments across 28 states that includes 25,000 units under management. Fairstead’s commitment to communities is realized through a comprehensive platform that leverages in-house expertise in acquisitions, development, design and construction, asset management, and property management.

Fairstead’s primary mission is to provide high quality housing to all regardless of income, and to make our stakeholders feel “Right at Home.” We accomplish this through an empathetic and innovative approach, and by utilizing our interdisciplinary platform as an investor, developer, owner, and operator.

Fairstead’s Core Values: Innovation, Determination, Integrity, Humility, Empathy and Partnerships

Fairstead seeks an experienced property claims professional to manage the full lifecycle of property claims across its real estate portfolio. The focus is on coordination, documentation, and driving timely, accurate claim resolution. This role is designed for someone who has handled commercial property claims (carrier, TPA, broker, or in-house) and can immediately take ownership of active files and standardize processes.

Responsibilities:

• Manage end-to-end property claims, including intake, investigation coordination, documentation, coverage confirmation, resolution, and close-out.
• Review incident reports, leases, insurance policies, and supporting documentation to validate coverage, quantify loss, and support recovery.
• Coordinate with Operations to collect photos, statements, estimates, invoices, waivers, fire/police reports, and any city/state notices or violations.
• Serve as primary liaison with insurance carriers, TPAs, brokers, and adjusters; track file status, advocate for appropriate settlements, and escalate complex matters to the General Counsel and outside counsel as needed.
• Maintain detailed property claim files and a claims log/dashboard, including reserves, payments, and key dates; prepare periodic reporting on property loss trends and outcomes for management.
• Work closely with Accounting to reconcile all claim-related expenses, align vendor invoices with contracts and coverage, track advances, and ensure financial close-out matches claim close-out.
• Coordinate with Legal on complex or litigated property claims, including evidence preservation and support for coverage or subrogation counsel.
• Assist with city/state compliance related to property incidents, partnering with Operations to file documentation, respond to inquiries, and support clearing of violations.
• Develop and refine property incident reporting procedures, claim intake forms, checklists, and basic training for site and regional staff on documentation expectations.

Property Focus and Preferred Additional Experience

The primary focus of the role is commercial property claims across Fairstead’s owned and managed portfolio (e.g., fire, water, weather, building systems, habitability-related losses).

Preferred but not required experience includes hands-on claims work in one or more of the following lines:

• Casualty / general liability (premises-type claims)
• Errors & omissions or professional liability
• Surety / fidelity
• Renters/tenant insurance programs or related claim activity

These additional experiences are considered beneficial but property claims management remains the core responsibility.

Requirements:

• 5–7+ years of experience handling commercial property claims in a carrier, TPA, broker, or in-house risk/claims setting; experience with real estate portfolios (multifamily, affordable, or commercial) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a property claim caseload from first notice of loss through settlement and close-out, including coordination with internal stakeholders and external adjusters.
• Familiarity with commercial property policies, deductibles/SIRs, and basic coverage concepts.
• Strong organizational and data-tracking skills, including comfort with Excel and/or claims systems to monitor reserves, payments, and trends.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with Operations, Accounting, Legal, insurers, and vendors in a fast-paced environment

Diversity in backgrounds and experiences is key to Fairstead’s success. Being an equal opportunity employer is a central tenet of our philosophy that shapes who we are and the communities we serve. Our goal is to ensure competitive total compensation that is commensurate with experience, location, and other market benchmarks.