How to become a property manager

Wed 20 Apr 2022

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With property rentals and management becoming more complex, property managers are becoming more important in the residential and commercial property markets.

What is a property manager?

A property manager supports tenants and landlords in commercial and residential property markets.

As a property manager, you’ll take on several responsibilities including collecting rent, maintaining the properties, and handling communication between the tenant and landlord (some landlords never even speak to their tenants in person, choosing to communicate only through their property manager).

You can expect to enjoy a lengthy and successful career, earning between £25,000 and £37,500* a year depending on your location and experience level.

How can I become a property manager?

You’ll need to have:

Property management qualifications
Practical experience
Key skills.

1. Property management qualifications

To become a property manager, you’ll need a relevant property management qualification for either residential property management or commercial property management.

Even with experience in the property industry, you’ll need a qualification to demonstrate your knowledge of lettings and property law as well as property management best practice.

We work with the Propertymark, the leading membership body for property professionals, to provide a range of qualifications suited to new and existing property managers.

If you’re just getting started in property management, the Level 2 Award in Residential Lettings can help you build your foundation knowledge of the property industry and property law. If you’re moving into property management from another property profession, you may be able to start with the Level 3 Award in Residential Lettings to develop the specific knowledge you’ll need.

Most employers will require a property management qualification before employing you, however some might employ you in a general or junior role while you work towards your official qualification.

2. Practical Experience

To become a property manager, you’ll need to demonstrate relevant experience to a potential employer. This can be in another area of property that shows you have industry knowledge and are confident working with the legal aspects of property management.

If you’ve never worked in property before, you should look to demonstrate your transferable skills e.g. experience handling complex legal documents, managing customer and stakeholder relationships, and communication skills.

All this will show employers you have the skills needed and help you to secure your first property management job.

3. Key skills

Employers, landlords, and tenants expect property managers to have specific skills to do the job, including:

Time management
Clear and consistent communication
Negotiation skills
Organisational skills (to manage more than one property at a time)
Analytical skills.

As well as the legal aspects of property management, our property management courses can also help you develop and improve upon these key skills so you can stand out in your role to both employers and clients.

Gaining employment as a property manager

To get your first job as a property manager, you’ll need all the above AND you’ll need to show why an employer would hire you over someone else. This is where a Propertymark qualification from MOL Learn can really help you stand out.

Since Propertymark is the leading membership body for property agents, you’ll be able to set yourself apart with a widely recognised qualification and a higher level of professional credibility. Our courses are delivered by property industry experts, including Paul Jager and David Hughes, who have a wealth of knowledge and industry connections.

What better way to break into the property industry than with an industry-leading qualification from MOL - Propertymark’s preferred supplier.

*figures taken from Totaljobs salary checker at time of writing.