Career as Aproperty Manager or Real Estate Manager
Have you ever considered a career in property management? If so, you might be interested in knowing that both landlords and property managers are a special group of people with unique skills and professional satisfying careers. They both share similar responsibilities, although a property manager may look after dozens of rentals owned by a large corporation, while a landlord may only own a few properties for investment or wealth building reasons.
A property manager working in government subsidized property management is likely to receive considerable Training and Professional Certification in areas of occupancy, maintenance management, and community housing management. This training is available through government contract agencies of Housing and Urban Development and USDA-Rural Development. After a few years of experience, training and certification, many property manager career opportunities become available throughout the country.
So, what are some of the most important aspects of a property management career? To begin with, a successful property management job will possess a considerable number of skills, arrived at through considerable training and experience. These skills include training in business, human relations, social work, some legal training, good technology skills, and sound reasoning ability.
Ideally, someone entering into the property management field will have a post-secondary degree in business management or administration. This will ensure that the property manager will be able to perform various financial management tasks including budgeting, marketing, and forecasting. A business degree will also assure a prospective employer that the property manager will have contemporary computer and technology skills. These skills are an important asset for accelerating the learning curve for the different property management software in use today.
Beyond business skills, however, the property should possess some degree of training and skills in human relations. As part of the property manager's responsibilities, he will normally conduct background checks, telephone interviews, credit checks, application screening, and approval and disapproval in compliance with company policies.
One of the more challenging aspects of a career in property management is the social work component. Social work is a significant part of the responsibilities of a property manager, although this is seldom disclosed in the job description. Conflict resolution training is a crucial component of social work as property managers frequently find themselves dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, situations of family violence, and child abuse.
Aspiring property managers will quickly find themselves working closely with welfare, social services and mental health agencies as unique tenant issues arise. Training and experience in outreach and referral is important.
Since most of us have, at one time or another, rented or leased a residence and called it "home", it should be obvious that some training in the legal arena is required. Property managers routinely find themselves dealing with leases & rental agreements, evictions, building and fire codes, and federal, state and local housing laws. In government subsidized housing, a thorough knowledge of fair housing law is crucial.
Beyond the routine responsibilities above, a property manager frequently fulfills the duties of a building maintenance manager for one or multiple units. Professional certification in maintenance management is a boon to any employer. As maintenance manager, the property manager will handle incoming work orders, order material and supplies, supervise and assist the maintenance staff when necessary, and exercise management control over the staff's effort. This may include developing preventative maintenance schedules, conducting apartment and building inspections, and performing studies of utility usage.
The salaries of property managers vary widely among different geographic areas. It would be advisable to check with different on-line employment resources or government agencies for the most current salary information.
