Certifications, just like in other industries, help showcase competence, authority and expertise.
When looking to hire a property manager in San Diego, you should always look to hire a company awarded with industry certifications.
But what certifications should you look for and what exactly do they mean?
Whether you are an experienced investor or are just starting out as a landlord, these are important questions to ask yourself.
In this blog post, we will detail the certifications you should look for when hiring a San Diego property manager.
A skilled property manager will handle the day-to-day operations of your property, but also help you to reach your investment goals and expand your portfolio.
It is important to understand exactly what a property manager does, to fully understand why it is important to work with a company backed by industry certifications.
What Is a Property Manager?
A property manager or property management company oversees the day-to-day operations of a rental property. As a property owner, you may want to hire one when you don’t have the time or experience needed to personally manage your rental.
Generally speaking, property managers are responsible for ensuring a rental property is operational, presentable, and habitable.
What Do Property Managers Do?
If you’ve self-managed a property before, then you know that it can be anything but easy. Managing a property is taxing and entails handling a wide array of responsibilities.
The following are the typical responsibilities of a property manager:
Filling vacant rental units by running marketing campaigns on both online and offline platforms.
Preparing the property for tenancy.
Conducting property showings.
Screening prospective tenants on the basis of income level, creditworthiness, rental background, and other criteria.
Drafting the lease agreement and enforcing it during tenancy.
Handling repair and maintenance issues.
Conducting property inspections in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement.
Ensuring the property is up to code with regard to state and local habitability standards.
Determining the rental rate and collecting it when it’s due.
Following up when rent payments fall late and taking the necessary actions. For example, sending the tenant a reminder and/or enforcing a late fee.
Handling the eviction process when it becomes necessary.
Providing customer support to vendors, owners, and tenants.
Providing the owner financial reports on a regular basis.
Ensuring compliance with tenant-landlord laws
What Property Management Certifications Should an Owner Look For?
As you can see, a lot goes into managing a property! When doing your research and looking for the right property management partner in San Diego, look for one with the following certifications:
Residential Management Professional (RMP®)
Master Property Manager (MPM®)
Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®)
Each of these three certifications is awarded by the National Association of Property Managers (NARPM®). Why is this important? NARPM® was founded in 1988 and is the premier professional association for property managers. The RMP®, MPM® and CRMC® are designations that are awarded by NARPM® through proven excellence in property management.
NARPM® is a national organization and the California Association of Realtors (CAR®) provides a certification you should also look for when choosing a property manager in San Diego:
Property Management Certification (PMC®)
Any property management company can claim that they are certified for some form of designation. Be careful, and look for a property manager in San Diego with official certifications from NARPM® or CAR®.
Residential Management Professional (RMP®)
NARPM awards its RMP® certification to property managers who are committed to education, have extensive experience, and provide service through volunteer activities. Any property manager who holds the RMP® designation has demonstrated industry dedication and participated in extensive coursework and service projects through NARPM®.
Residential Management Professional (RMP®) Requirements:
Over a period of two years, the property manager has managed a minimum of 100 doors
For a minimum of two years, the property manager has been a licensed real estate agent
18 hours of NARPM® educational courses have been completed
Master Property Manager (MPM®)
A certified MPM® property manager has successfully completed advanced course
requirements and reached high levels of achievement, both with NARPM® and within their
community. The MPM® is the highest level of designation an individual property manager can
achieve.
Master Property Manager (MPM®) Requirements:
Over a period of five years, the property manager has managed a minimum of 500 doors
For a minimum of five years, the property manager has been a licensed real estate agent
24 hours of advanced NARPM® educational courses have been completed
Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®)
A property manager who is RMP® and MPM® certified has proven that they have expertise and education. The CRMC® is awarded to a property management company, not only an individual. NARPM® refers to the CRMC® as being the gold standard in the industry. A property management company who holds the CRMC® designation has been recommended by peers and clients, as well as undergone a detailed examination. NARPM® considers a company’s processes, systems and legal compliance when in consideration for this highly selective designation.
Property Management Certification (PMC®)
The RMP®, MPM®, and CRMC® are certifications from the National Association of Property Managers. In San Diego, look for a manager who also has a Property Management Certification from the California Association of Realtors. A PMC® certification is an indication of specialized expertise as coursework and exams must be completed to receive certification. Topics include working with investors, fair housing, landlord-tenant law, and many more.
Bottom Line
Choosing a property manager is no easy task. You want to ensure you are working with someone who is experienced, educated and professional. The designations awarded by NARPM® and CAR® will help you to do just that.
North County Property Group is designated with the RMP®, MPM®, CRMC®, and PMC®. You can trust that we are knowledgeable and will put our expertise to work for you. Not only that, but we are the only property management company in San Diego to be awarded the CRMC®!
Property owners in San Diego choose North County Property Group for our exemplary and high-end services. Get in touch today to learn more!
