Are there college programs available for property management?

Property management colleges are available both online and onsite to provide the training, certification and professional designations to candidates interested in the field of property management. Training for a career in property management can be completed in as little as a weekend, or as in depth as a four year degree depending on the foundation of the candidate"s knowledge. With faster than average growth expected in the industry1, colleges, training programs and property management organizations are popular and relevant resources for those wanting to pursue a property management career.

While there are many related fields which make a strong basis for property management like finance, business, real estate and public administration, property management college courses focus specifically on tasks and concepts encountered within property management. Some of these topics might include the following: property analysis; tenant relations; managing commercial property leases; forms and administration; legal issues within property management; marketing; economics of property management; apartment management operations; and procedures, systems and reports.2

After attending a property management college, many graduates seek further distinction by achieving a designation from one of the industry"s organizations. These organizations are the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the National Apartment Association (NAA), The Community Associations Institute (CAI), the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). Examples of these designations include Certified Property Manager (CPM) from the IREM, Residential management professional (RMP) from the NARPM, Real Property Administrator (RPA) from the BOMA, Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) from the NAA and Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) from the CAI. The achievement of these designations generally requires a certain number of learning hours, industry experience, and the completion of written exams.

Property management schools today are looking to fit themselves into the busy schedules of today"s business workers. With more and more colleges offering online property management courses, it is becoming easier to receive the training, degrees and designations necessary to be truly successful in property management.