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Who is A Property Manager?

by | Oct 6, 2022

Home $ Property Management for landlords $ Who is A Property Manager?

For many, property management is more important than the actual property. Particularly for real estate investors who own numerous properties in various markets around London and the Uk. Real estate investing in passive ways is made possible by property managers.

A good property manager knows all about property management, hence, their value is immeasurable. 

So, in this article, we attempt to answer what a property manager is, how they are different from a letting agent and how you can use them to the best of your ability when trying to manage your property.

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Dealing with tenants and maintenance is challenging.

Let our Partner Cozee that manages more than 200 tenancies do that for you.

What Are The Different Property Management Jobs?

There are many property management jobs in the United Kingdom that different property management companies have posted advertisements for:

  • Property Administrator
  • Senior Property Manager
  • Property Asset Manager
  • Property Management Administrator
  • Property & Facilities Officer
  • Head of Property Management
  • and so on

One such property management company is Cozee a Prime Property Management company.

Cozee is one of the most renowned names in the United Kingdom in terms of property maintenance services and has property managers able to communicate in both English & Chinese.

How Can You Become A Property Manager in The United Kingdom?

There are 2 main ways to become a property manager in the UK. Having the following skills is crucial for property managers to succeed in their careers.

Property manager by Education

The General Certificate of Secondary Education is the prerequisite for property management (GCSE). So passing the basic maths and English GCSE’s in secondary school will set you up well to go on to further training as a property manager.

Some property management organizations may favour applicants with real estate-related vocational training. But you should think about obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree in real estate, estate surveyor, business administration, public administration, or finance to improve your employment prospects as a property manager

Additionally, you can also take many property management courses online.

Certificates

Certificates demonstrate your dedication to the profession, certifications also help set your resume apart from that of other applicants. Also, it frequently increases your property management skills and aids you in becoming an efficient property manager, making you a valuable employee when you land the job.

What Does a Property Manager do?

Being a Property Manager in the real estate industry means that an individual or organization the property owner hires to oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of their real estate investment.

In other words, a property manager, also known as an estate manager, is a person or company tasked with managing one or several real estate assets on behalf of the owner when they are unwilling or unable to handle these matters themselves.

 a property manager also known as estate manager

The option of employing a property manager is suitable for landlords who own properties but, either lack the time or the expertise to undertake the business-related initiatives needed. In essence, a property manager serves as a liaison between a landlord and a tenant and is in charge of a variety of duties, including maintaining the property.

As a landlord, you must understand what property management comprises and what obligations come with it if you have any interest in the field, otherwise, it is better to hire property managers and let them manage your assets.

Work done by a person within a business in response to a request from another tenant to arrange for services, repairs, upkeep, improvements, insurance, or handle any other part of managing residential properties is referred to as property management or block management work. In other words, it is part of the work of a property manager.

What Skills Does A Property Manager Need?

Examples of some of the most crucial abilities a property manager might possess include the following:

1. Excellent communication skills

Property managers have to reply to tenants’ emails quickly and successfully ensuring they know exactly what needs to be done on the property to solve problems. A good property manager masters clear, succinct communication and active listening skills. Property managers might benefit from having excellent communication skills by helping new tenants understand the leasing procedure, house appliances and by properly welcoming them.

2. Good Legal Knowledge

To secure each property, property managers are in charge of and guarantee compliance with councils and condo rules. A property manager needs to have a solid understanding of real estate law and pertinent landlord-tenant laws.

3. Great Organization Skills

Property Managers can handle obligations and keep track of their chores more efficiently if they have great organizing skills. As you might imagine, the more properties they’ll have on their plate to manage the more this skill will result in being crucial.

4. Outstanding Marketing & Sales expertise

Being able to showcase the greatest features of the properties they manage and peak the attention of possible renters may be done with the help of professional property descriptions, high-quality images, and entertaining video tours. But, nothing is more convincing than a live property viewing with a property salesman highlighting why a tenant should rent this apartment rather than the one from another landlord.

What Does A Property Manager Earn in The United Kingdom?

Property managers’ wage range is directly impacted by the fact that many people who hold the position of a property manager can handle a great deal of responsibility and accountability. The qualifications, training, and years of experience of a property manager, as well as their geographic location, will all impact their pay.

One of the key determinants is the sort of real estate business they run, with property managers of commercial properties typically earning the highest salaries.

The salary of a property manager in the UK ranges from £30,341 to £34,987 per annum with an average of £32,271 yearly and £15.38 an hour. Most experienced workers earn up to £47,882 per year, while entry-level property managers start at £25,000.

Hence, the following variables can affect a property manager’s pay:

  • The state of the economy
  • Educational attainment
  • Years of experience
  • Degree of responsibility
  • The complexity of the property

Does A  Property Manager Get Commissioned in The United Kingdom?

The typical monthly commission for a property management company ranges from 8% to 20% of the monthly rent paid by the tenant.

property manager selling properties

Based on an average cost of 10%, the property management fee for a residence that rents for £1,200 per month would be £120.

Property manager generally receives a set wage for the first three months of their commission-based estate agent career to cover their expenses until they begin to close sales and begin to receive a commission. 

Their experience will have grown after those three months, and they return to a base wage of about £12,000 to £15,000 with the knowledge that the commission they earn increases their take-home pay each month.

In the first year as a successful seller, a property manager can anticipate making between £18,000 and £25,000, while many aspiring property managers have made significantly more than that.

Ultimately, your earning potential is largely impacted by your ability to go out and find landlords to manage their properties and the quality of work you are able to produce. A new property manager with a few large clients who do their job very well and understand the industry can make a lot of money for example.

When you compare this to someone who has a small base of clients but they don’t manage the properties properly so lose their management rights and the trust of the landlords, and they may struggle and ruin their reputation.

It is important to remember that often if you are a landlord, you may have multiple properties to manage. So once you find a good property manager, it would be a wise idea to have them manage as many properties as they can. This makes it easier for the landlord as they only have to report to one person and typically, the property manager will become familiar with the processes and type of property that the landlord wants.

In this way, a property manager found a landlord with multiple properties and allows them to increase the amount they can make without necessarily finding a lot of properties themself.

What Is The Other Name for A “Property Manager”?

A Property Manager is also known as Real Property Administrator (RPA) or Facilities Management Administrator (FMA). Sometimes, property managers are also called real estate agents, estate agents, land dealers, and real estate managers. So don’t be confused, we are always more or less talking about the same job.

Are Property Managers Professionally Satisfied?

When it comes to satisfaction, property managers fall below the national average. Millions of people are regularly polled online in the United Kingdom to find out how happy they are with their jobs. It turns out that property managers rank in the bottom 24% of jobs for career happiness, scoring only 2.9 out of 5.

There are now specialists who have made successful businesses by assisting property managers in coping with the stressors they confront because the number of property managers who experience work-related stress has increased to such an extent.

Because of the constant “tug-of-war between residents, personnel, boards, and contractors,” there are a lot of stressed-out property managers. Property managers must manage these opposing needs in addition to the following issues:

  • An overloaded schedule
  • Insufficient mentoring and instructions
  • A steady stream of tenant grievances
  • Personnel issues
  • Management of reputation

How Do I Start My Career in Property?

Before becoming a property manager, you must meet some prerequisites. To get started as a property manager, follow these steps:

1. Pass secondary school at the very least

To start a career as a property manager, communication and basic math are some of the main skills you will use. Also, candidates typically need at least a few GCSE’s to apply to a reputable university to gain a degree in a subject like business administration or real estate if that is the path they choose to take in their journey into property management. Specialized real estate management courses are also available online from reputable places such as skillshare or LinkedIn Learning.

2. Acquire the necessary skills

An effective property manager should have strong networking and marketing abilities. Strong interpersonal and communication abilities are also required.

For instance, a property manager needs to be able to keep a composed and patient approach to settle conflicts quickly. A property manager needs to have excellent organizational abilities. Finally, a property manager needs to be able to communicate effectively with the owner, tenants, and contractors of the rental property.

3. Obtain the necessary licensing

To operate independently in the United States, a property manager needs a license. But you probably don’t need to get a license right away if you’re working for a licensed property manager or real estate agent.

property manager handing over keys

4. Obtain the required certifications

Property managers can obtain certificates from a few well-known professional associations and trade groups in the real estate and property management sectors. Although acquiring any of these qualifications is not required, doing so can help you progress your career significantly.

5. Apply for a job

The next step should be creating your resume after acquiring all the requirements to become a property manager. The skills you have developed for the position you’re contemplating, like a license or a degree in real estate, should be highlighted. Mention any prior experience you may have had as a property manager’s assistant in both your resume and cover letter.

How To Be A Good Property Manager?

We’ve listed the characteristics of a high-performing property manager below in the hopes that it helps you choose the correct one.

  1. Possess superb communication skills
  2. Be extremely productive and organized
  3. Be trained and educated, with an emphasis on ongoing learning
  4. Possess a thorough understanding of the renting industry there
  5. Be skilled or part of a team of extremely skilled property managers

What Is The First Responsibility of A Property Manager to The Landlord?

Finding renters for your rental property is the property manager’s most evident job. The property manager conducts showings to potential tenants, examines applicants’ references and credit, and manages the move-in process.

The primary duty of a property manager includes collecting the rent, monitoring the continuing upkeep of the owner’s property/properties, and tenant management.

For a detailed review of the roles and responsibilities of a property manager, click here.

How Do Property Managers Stay Organized?

Landlords have a tonne of obligations and are quite busy. Because of this, it may be challenging for them to maintain their organization. So, for landlords who are having trouble keeping everything organized, here are some of our top organizational recommendations:

  • Record everything
  • Establish a filing system
  • Use management software to interact with tenants and accurately track finances and taxes

Conclusion

Managers who do all the functions have started to become the exception rather than the rule as the property management industry becomes more complex and building equipment becomes more intricate.

For the property of private landlords, no agents are employed, and they manage their properties themselves. A property management software or a property management app can assist in this regard. One such software is the property management system, which makes administrative and reservation tasks at a hotel easier.

For further details and tips on tenant management, click here.

Effective property management is one of the most crucial components of real estate ownership. Tenants won’t likely stay in a rental for very long if it is not managed properly. Tenant turnover costs you money as the owner each time it occurs. If you locate excellent property management, I’m sure they’ll be well worth the money.

FAQ

Do you need a degree to be a property manager?

You don’t necessarily need a degree to be a property manager, but having one in a related field can be beneficial. However, like a lot of things, experience is what is most important

Do you need a property manager as a landlord?

Having a property manager as a landlord is optional and there is no legal requirement to hire one as a landlord

Do property managers have to take tests?

Property managers do not have take tests but it is up to discretion of a landlord to determine if they want to hire a property manager based on the extent of their education level

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andreas gerazis

Andreas Gerazis

Experienced landlord

Andreas is a certified landlord with extensive knowledge about the UK property market as he has been actively investing for half a decade. Founder of the first three-in-one property management software, Lofti Proptech, Andreas has a brilliant understanding of the details surrounding what it takes to grow and run a thriving property portfolio.

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