Employers

About 220,750 people in the United States are employed as property, real estate, and community association managers. Many work for real estate agents and brokers, owners of real estate, or property management firms. Others work for real estate developers, government agencies that manage public buildings, corporations with large property holdings used for their retail operations, real estate investors, and mining and oil companies. Many are self-employed as developers, apartment building owners, property management firm owners, or owners of full-service real estate businesses.

Starting Out

Students who are about to graduate from college can obtain assistance from their career services offices in finding their first job. You can also apply directly to property management firms and check ads in the help wanted sections of local newspapers. Property and real estate managers often begin as on-site managers for small apartment house complexes, condominiums, or community associations. Others start out as assistants to managers of large properties. Some property managers begin as real estate agents or in another position in a real estate firm and later move into property management.

With experience, entry-level property and site managers may transfer to larger properties, or they may become assistant property managers, working closely with property managers and acquiring experience in a variety of management tasks. Assistant managers may advance to property manager positions, in which they most likely will be responsible for several properties. As they advance in their careers, property managers may manage larger or more complex operations, specialize in managing specific types of property, or possibly establish their own companies.

To be considered for advancement, property managers must demonstrate the ability to deal effectively with tenants, contractors, and maintenance staff. They must be capable administrators and possess business skills, initiative, good organization, and excellent communication skills.

Talk to people in your area who work as property managers.

Contact local real estate agents or brokers and ask them about the job responsibilities of property managers.

Attend college and obtain a bachelor's degree in economics or finance to improve your chances of landing a job as a property manager.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings: https://careers.iremjobs.org, https://www.allpropertymanagement.com, and https://www.selectleaders.com. Professional associations also often offer job listings at their Web sites.