Business Development Manager (BDM)

Job Title: Business Development Manager – Commercial Leasing (Chennai)

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Industry:Commercial : Real Estate / Hospitality / Co-living / Senior Living

Role Overview :

We are seeking a highly driven and street-smart Business Development Manager to lead property sourcing and leasing transactions across Chennai. The ideal candidate will have strong local market knowledge, excellent negotiation skills, and prior exposure to large-format leasing—particularly in hospitality, co-living, and senior care segments.

This is a high-ownership, on-ground role requiring extensive city scouting, landlord engagement, and deal closures.

Key Responsibilities

1. Property Sourcing & Market IntelligenceActively scout and identify potential properties across Chennai suitable for:

• Hotels
• Co-living spaces
• Senior living facilities
• Large-format commercial leasing
• Build a strong on-ground broker and local network to access off-market opportunities
• Maintain a real-time pipeline of potential properties

2. Landlord Engagement & Relationship ManagementInitiate and manage discussions with property owners and landlords

• Build long-term relationships with key stakeholders
• Educate landlords on leasing models, revenue structures, and value propositions

3. Negotiation & Deal StructuringLead negotiations on:

• Lease terms
• Revenue share models
• Lock-in periods and escalation clauses
• Align landlord expectations with company business models
• Structure win-win deals ensuring profitability and scalability

4. Transaction ClosureDrive end-to-end closure of leasing transactions

• Coordinate with legal, finance, and design teams for due diligence and onboarding
• Ensure timely execution of agreements

5. Market Expansion Strategy : Identify high-potential micro-markets within Chennai

• Provide insights on demand-supply gaps in hospitality and co-living sectors
• Support strategic expansion planning
• Candidate RequirementsExperience : 3–7 years of experience in:
• Commercial leasing / real estate
• Hospitality expansion
• Co-living or managed living spaces
• Candidates with experience in companies like:
• Zolo Stays
• Stanza Living
• OYO will be strongly preferred
• Skills & Competencies : Strong understanding of Chennai real estate market
• Fluency in Tamil (mandatory) for negotiation and local communication
• Proficiency in English (mandatory) for business communication
• Excellent negotiation and persuasion skills
• High ownership mindset with execution focus
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Other RequirementsWillingness to travel extensively within Chennai
• Strong networking and relationship-building capability
• Analytical mindset for evaluating deal viability
• What We’re Looking For : A hustler who knows Chennai like the back of their hand
• Someone who can find deals where others don’t
• A negotiator who can close tough landlords
• A professional who thrives in on-ground execution roles
• CompensationCompetitive fixed salary + performance-linked incentives
• High growth opportunity in a rapidly expanding segment