Before diving in head first, you would be wise to educate yourself about what a career in property management entails, including your short- and long-term career outlook. Because property management requires such a diverse skill set, if the job is likely not a good fit for you it’s best to figure that out before investing time, effort—and perhaps even money—into creating a property management career for yourself. And if a career in property management is for you, the more research you do, the easier it will be for you to use that knowledge to prepare yourself for and identify the perfect job.

Begin by being honest with yourself. Do you enjoy working with numbers? Do you have a mind for legal matters and, if not, do you enjoy researching such topics and do so quickly and accurately? Do you enjoy working closely with people and does the idea of working with a diverse set of people excite you? How are you at problem solving? Are you efficient and decisive enough that you will be able to deal with maintenance issues on a timely basis? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” you may want to consider stopping before passing go.

But if all of this leaves you even more intrigued, your next step should be talking to the people who can really fill you in on the nitty-gritty details of what it means to be a property manger—property managers. Begin by seeing if any of your friends or family members know anyone in the field. If not, put a query in with a local realtor association or, even better yet, call a local property management company. If there’s a particular company you’re interested in working for, requesting an informational interview with them is the perfect place to start. A potential employer will be impressed by your drive and dedication and you can get a feel for the office’s environment to see if it might be a good fit for you. Local real estate schools or certification classes might have some ideas. And, if all else fails, try putting a posting up at on a local property management group’s website [NV1] or the always-useful Craigslist.

Once you’ve identified a professional to speak with, maximize the opportunity. Make sure that you prepare your list of questions ahead of time—don’t just show up for the meeting and wing it. In fact, you’re best to start prepping your list a few days in advance to give yourself plenty of time to mull over what you want to find out. Following are some general questions to consider asking, but you should only use these as a basic guide. Be sure that you really take your own personality into account and are drilling down into the questions and topics that most pertain to your personality and qualifications for an enjoyable work environment.

1. What is your favorite thing about being a property manager? What is your least favorite part?
2. What characteristics or personality traits does it take to be successful in this industry?
3. What are your biggest challenges as a property manager?
4. Which software, applications, or other tools are used in property management?
5. What motivates people in this industry to succeed? Money? Career advancement? Travel? Networking and friends?
6. What websites, books, or magazines do you regularly use to learn and stay current with industry news?

Finally, when asking questions and determining what direction you want your own career to take, make sure you think long-term. Again, remember that just as important as asking other people questions is asking (and honestly answering) questions yourself. You may be okay with long hours now, but how will you feel about that in five years? What is the long-term outlook for careers in this field (also be sure to check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual report for more information on the sector’s outlook)? And do salaries generally significantly increase over time? If so, what is the average timeframe for promotion and what do you have to do to achieve that? Are you the type of person who will realistically do what it takes to achieve these milestones?

While one interview may provide you with all the answers you need, also bear in mind that there are different career paths even within the property management sector. There’s commercial property management and residential property management; short-term and long-term rentals; large property management offices and very small ones. With all this in mind, you may want to speak with a couple different property managers whose jobs and situations are differ from one another. The better you are able to really pinpoint the sort of job and environment you would most enjoy working in, the better the chances are that you will really enjoy your property management experience once you get in the door.

If you’ve considered bolstering your property management career with an education program, there are a few that you may want to check out. Following is an overview of notable property management programs to give you an idea of what to expect and which may work best for you.

National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM)

The National Association of Residential Property Managers is a great option for those already in the property management profession who want to gain additional education to grow their knowledge base and forward their career. If you own or manage your own property management company, you should note that NARPM® offers a diverse set of programs tailored to job type. With programs for property management company owners, property managers, and property management office staff, your entire team can benefit from the NARPM® programs.

NARPM® courses are taught by association members who are also principals in their own property management companies. This is critical because for any education program in this field to be truly effective, it’s imperative that instructors have a solid understanding of how the principles they’re teaching translate into real-life situations.

You can choose between four certifications, depending upon your primary job function and area of focus. These include:

Residential Management Professional (RMP)
Master Property Manager (MPM)
Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC)
Certified Support Specialist (CSS)

NARPM® has regional nationwide offices where classes are offered or, alternatively, you can opt for an online distance education class where students receive all the information they would in a classroom setting from the comfort of their own home or office. For a list of upcoming classes, click here .

National Apartment Association (NAA)

The National Apartment Association is designed specifically with the multi-family housing industry in mind. Through the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI), the association offers classes both for current property management professionals and for promising newcomers looking to build a property management career.

NAA’s unique class offering very specifically drills down to various property management job functions as seen in their certification offerings:

Certified Apartment Manager (CAM)
Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT)
Certified Apartment Property Supervisor (CAPS)
Certified Apartment Supplier (CAS)
National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP)

As with NARPM®, classes are offered in NAA’s local and regional offices. Their entire CAM program, however, can be taken online .

Finally, NAAEI has set up ApartmentCareerHQ.org, a great resource for undergraduate students who are considering working toward a property management career. This site will help students identify colleges that offer a Resident Property Manager major program, arming future industry professionals with the information they need before embarking on a property management career.

Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) & Building Owners and Managers Institute International (BOMI)

Although they are two distinct entities, in addition to its own webinars and seminars trade association the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) also provides access to partner education company Building Owners and Managers Institute International’s (BOMI) educational programs and certifications. Both of these companies have their fingers on the pulse of real estate and rental market education. Their offerings can be taken at regional offices, online, or over the phone at teleconference seminars. In addition to offering more traditional certification, BOMA also provides a wide variety of webinars and seminars that address up-to-the-minute industry issues. For example, with the current economy in mind, BOMA recently conducted a webinar on “Recognizing and Managing Tenant Financial Distress” and have an upcoming webinar on “Keeping Tenants Happy in a Depressed Economy.”

Property management can be a lonely job at times. And although flying solo may well be your style, there’s still something to be said for the power of collective thought. This is particularly true in a field where so many different elements come into play. Accounting, real estate, legal issues, customer service, marketing—most property managers delve into all of these areas on a regular basis. And this is precisely why a property management group can do so much for your career.

At first it may seem a bit counter-intuitive to share your business ideas (and maybe even practices) with other local property managers. After all, some of them probably represent your competition. But the truth of the matter is, more than anyone else, your fellow property managers truly understanding what your job entails; the type of issues you deal with on a frequent basis; and the best methods, resources, and people available to help you find solutions to these issues in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible.

All of this is not to say, however, that there’s necessarily an existing property management group in your area. So here are some tips to help you find members for and run your group. Trust us—it’s easier than it sounds and will pay off more than you can imagine.

Put your group together

Chances are you know of other property managers in your area. Don’t be shy—give them a call. If you’ve heard of them, chances are they have helpful information to share. You may also want to generate some word-of-mouth by telling real estate companies, vendors, and service providers who do work with other property managers in your area about your group. Real estate investment seminars and conferences (as well as other industry-related events) are a great way to reach out to multiple community members in one fell swoop.

Also, don’t forget about your online options. Post an ad on Craigslist or do a search on networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook to identify target group members. If there are any e-newsletters or other mailing lists that you think potential group members are likely to subscribe to—look no further than your own inbox for some ideas—you can also put a posting in there.

Organize your group … virtuallyVirtual Groups

Speaking of utilizing online sources, you should be aware of some of the great free online group organization resources and networking tools. If you haven’t yet, be sure to take a look at MeetUp.com. This service is designed specifically for finding and organizing groups of like-minded people. Just go to MeetUp and perform a search with your zip code and keywords like property manage, real estate, landlord, or rental. The results will include other people in your area who have entered similar interests and are looking for related networking groups.

MeetUp will also allow you to see if there are any existing property management groups in your area. If not, it’s simple to start one of your own right then and there. Other locals who have expressed interest in your topic will be notified and can then join your group. From there, MeetUp provides easy-to-use meeting organization tools to notify members about upcoming events.

Google Groups and Yahoo Groups are also great resources. Both options work similarly, providing groups with an electronic meeting place to exchange and store information including everything from files to calendars. You can also post messages to provide quick updates or information for the group to see.

While all three of these group tools offer a wide variety of useful functions, MeetUp is your best bet for initially organizing a group and bringing members together. Once the group is formed, Google or Yahoo are great places to collectively store and share information, including upcoming events and agendas.

Communicate with your group

Now that you’ve put a group together, you have to figure out how to keep them together and continue growing. Doing this requires communication. Online group tools are extremely useful, but it also pays to proactively deliver information to members’ inboxes every now and then (as opposed to passively waiting for them to log on to one of the sites mentioned above). As the group leader you’ll need to find a reliable method of keeping the group in contact, motivating them to attend meetings, and sharing information. Communicate through email or newsletter

Just a basic email may work for your purposes. Or maybe you really want to beef up your communication efforts and get a newsletter going … particularly if your group’s main mode of communication will be electronic. If you do opt to take this route, there are some great online tools to easily create and personalize professional looking e-newsletters. Try ConstantContact.com or MyNewsletterBuilder.com. Aside from the professional edge these services provide, they also allow you to view analytics such as open rates, click-throughs, and email bounces. Be aware, though, most e-newsletter services do charge a fee after a trial period has expired, so be sure you will benefit from and use this service before signing up.

Run a successful group meeting

While you should definitely take advantage of online tools, chances are the real group bonding will happen at face-to-face gatherings. You don’t have to hold meetings or events all the time—anywhere from once a month to once a quarter will do. However, when you do have group meetings, you want to make sure that as many people as possible actually attend. Offer attendees incentives like snacks, speakers, activities, or even a gift certificate prize (this is a great way for vendors to get their names in front of potential employers’ faces, after all).

A successful meeting will be the perfect blend of social (so that people really have the opportunity to converse and network with one another—this is when the real sharing and information exchange starts to happen) and structured. Without any structure, members may decide that their busy schedules do not allow for these meetings and attendance could drop before the group ever even gets going. Provide an agenda or even just a topic for discussion from the outset.

Make sure you remind attendees to bring business cards with them and have people sign in so that you can get email addresses for future sends and also have an idea of who attends functions and how they are referred. Doing this will help you figure out what some of your best methods for drawing members in are and will allow you to really target those more effective modes in the future.