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Property Managment – Northridge – Certifications and Education of a Property Manager

NORTHRIDGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Certifications and Education of a Property Manager

Ideally, hiring a property management service should provide a landlord with a contractor that has certifications, training, expertise, and education qualifications in managing landlord-tenant issues with rentals. Unfortunately, too often management services are operated with maybe one or two people (the owners) having some certifications while the rest of the staff include general laypeople addressing the daily operations. This creates a significant risk for legal mistakes for an affected landlord.

In an ideal situation, those managing and directing the activities of a property management service will have a Certified Property Manager (CPM) credential or similar under their belts. Such certifications and their training tracks involve candidates pursuing a standardized course of study and testing before expertise documentation is provided. Areas of test expertise include theory education, acceptable business practices, ethics, and a required amount of experience time earned in practice work (one year). The certificate process is administered and tracked by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).

IREM participation also includes local chapter affiliation as well as ongoing continuing education requirements to maintain a CPM status. A property management service with personnel that keep up-to-date CPM certifications will easily be able to show clients their ongoing credentials as well with IREM.

Those certified under a CPM are also required to already have an approved real estate license from their respective state authority where the management service operates. This license and related documentation can also be requested by a client to be sure of the quality of service provided.

Where a property management service utilizes support staff underneath qualified or certified managers and personnel, all the decision-making functions should be handled by an employee at the certified level. If daily or regular property decisions are being handled by personnel who laypeople without proven training, a landlord should steer clear of that contractor.

Ongoing affiliation with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is also a good sign of a property service management that is keeping up with the standards in property management. The NAR regularly monitors law changes and pushes for industry best practices in all aspects of real estate business, including property management. Landlords should ask and confirm that a service not only is aware of the NAR but an active member of the organization and participating in ongoing continuing education programs put on by the NAR.

New landlords should not feel worried about confirming the certifications of a property service before agreeing to any hiring. A good property manager will be more than willing to provide the necessary documentation to show his training, and some may display it on their office walls for all to see.

by Tom Lutzenberger

Since 1946 the Carnahan name has had a reputation for honest and ethical Real Estate Property Management services in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Burbank/Glendale, Los Angeles, Westside and Conejo Valley areas.

The reason for our success is helping owners like you when they need it. Below is a partial list of property management services we provide to help you protect your real estate investment.