Christopher Lee Is a Travel Warrior with a Passion for People

From pre-dawn flights to forging meaningful connections across the country, this Traveling Leasing Specialist (TLS) embodies what it means to be adaptable, passionate, and driven. With nearly a year under his belt at Campus Advantage, Christopher Lee has made it his mission to jump into each new environment with energy, positivity, and purpose. Whether it’s ramping up leasing efforts or boosting team morale, Christopher is always ready to put his best foot forward — both in service and in style.

Tell us a little bit about your current role and how long you’ve been with the company.

My current role is Traveling Leasing Specialist, and I’ve been in this role for 11 months now. My one year will be on June 18, so it’s coming up quickly! As a TLS, you have to be quite an early bird, and you have to be willing to live out of a suitcase. When I travel, I’m going to assist communities with their leasing goals, but I really have to go in without having any expectation of what I will encounter once I get there. I get to be spontaneous and adapt to any environment because you don’t know what will be needed when you get there. I also love making new connections at each new site; it’s my favorite part of meeting with a new team. I’m there to observe, analyze, and then figure out how I can best fit into their environment to make the best impact with the site team and assist to get their leasing ramped up. We are travel warriors on the Traveling Leasing Specialist team, and we are there to defeat whatever monster may be hindering that team from meeting their goals.

What first attracted you to work for Campus Advantage?

When I was looking for a new role, I had just graduated from the University of Alabama in organizational leadership, and I really liked the student-first approach that CA took. It isn’t always the case at other companies, and I’ve always been a very serving leader because I don’t want residents to feel like they are just a number. When I saw the professional development opportunities that CA offers residents and the focus on Mojo as a value — those were both huge draws for me. A lot of teams go into work every day and don’t get positive reinforcement or motivation, but at CA we see what you’re doing. Another big draw was the annual Momentum Conference. As leasing managers, you go through year after year working hard to meet goals, and there’s no reward or opportunity to be yourself while getting personal and professional development. The Momentum Conference was the first time I saw a company turn around and pour back into those managers.

What is your professional background?

I started in student housing in 2021 as a Community Assistant and didn’t know quite what I was getting myself into, but I watched my property’s Instagram and saw the appeal. I fell in love with being able to have events and meet residents. Of course, the discounted rent didn’t hurt either, but I like that I was able to use my bachelor’s degree in psychology. As I started working, I noticed how a student thinks to help navigate the leasing process and help to overcome objections. I then moved my way up to leasing agent, resident director, and lastly leasing manager. Once I became a leasing manager, I went to a few different companies, and then made my way to Campus Advantage. There was a lot of demand and time, but the only reason I left the leasing manager role was to see what other opportunities there were after I got my master’s degree. In my current role, I have more flexibility to be around family and friends when I’m not traveling.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

I wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 AM to gear up for travel and will be on the earliest flight possible to get to the next site team. For me, that day of travel is also a good time to do a lot of background work and review the website for the community I’m visiting, as well as their comps, and prepare myself as much as possible. Once I’m there, I’ll take a tour and look at the amenities and curb appeal; are there any items I can fix along the way? I’ll see how the WOW fridge is looking, look at social media, look at any flyers, etc. — mostly, I’m looking at the property through fresh eyes. Once I’ve done that on day 1, I can get a plan together for the next 10 days. It’s a lot, but I’m doing what I love so I don’t have any complaints.

What three words best describe you (inside or outside of work)?

Passionate – I’m very passionate both about work and my personal life.

Hardworking – I’m going to do anything I can to make sure we get what we need to done! Sometimes I must catch myself to turn off, but I want to make sure I’m giving the property my all when I go there.

Putting my best foot forward – Whether that’s with my work ethic or fashion, I’m always going to put my best foot forward and make the best impression I can.

How would you describe the Campus Advantage culture?

The CA culture to me is very inclusive and supportive. There’s never a day where I don’t feel supported, and I try to pass that on to the teams I’m visiting. If I need to call after hours or need help on something, people don’t care what time it is — they’re here for me, and it helps me to feel better in my role. I can reach out any time and everyone has an open-door policy, which always feels so good. There’s not one person I’ve met that doesn’t feel like family. I’m an introvert by nature, but everyone welcomes me with open arms.

What is one of your favorite moments with Campus Advantage so far?

Seeing everyone in person at the Momentum Conference and cruise. I started in June, and the first time I met anyone on the leasing team was in January at the conference. Seeing everyone in person was so nice, as was seeing the Mojo events with the other TLSs and being able to make everyone smile. It was such a great experience that allowed me to be myself and really get to know the other people in attendance while still getting so much done!

Thinking about your most successful peers and teammates, what characteristics do they share?

Hardworking as well as passionate; I think it’s a requirement in these roles. Everyone shares similar goals even if we work differently to get there. You can tell they really care and put their best foot forward every day.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, I have toy poodle — Cartier — that I spend a lot of time with as well as my family. A lot of my family is in the area where I’m from, and we see each other every day. I also love spending time with my friends. I went to Ole Miss, which isn’t too far, so I like seeing my fraternity brothers and just soaking in everything I can after being gone for 10 days.

If your life had a soundtrack, name some songs that would be on it?

“Keep Doing What You’re Doing” by Bryson Tiller. The reason I chose that song is because it’s based off what his grandmother told him about being successful and being where you are and happy in it. I see so many people who are just chasing the next bigger, better thing, but I love what I do and it brings me joy, so why not keep doing what I’m doing?