Advice on How to Become a Property Manager in Los Angeles, CA

[Dana Miller]

I want to move to LA - but instead of blowing my whole paycheck on a closet-sized room, I thought of working a deal as someone's property manager to work to pay for my rent. To be honest - not entirely sure how it'll work (never been a property manager before) so I have some questions:

1. What tasks are expected of a property manager?

2. Is it a part-time, full-time, or seasonal job? (How many hours/week is expected?)

3. Even though I don't have experience persay as a property manager, I have a marketing degree and am a licensed loan officer and real estate salesperson -- do those count for anything??

4. How do you market yourself as a property manager? (What do people look for when they hire a property manager?)

5. What type of properties are property managers hired to manage? :D

[Adam Macias]

Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @Dana Miller:

I want to move to LA - but instead of blowing my whole paycheck on a closet-sized room, I thought of working a deal as someone's property manager to work to pay for my rent. To be honest - not entirely sure how it'll work (never been a property manager before) so I have some questions:

1. What tasks are expected of a property manager?

2. Is it a part-time, full-time, or seasonal job? (How many hours/week is expected?)

3. Even though I don't have experience persay as a property manager, I have a marketing degree and am a licensed loan officer and real estate salesperson -- do those count for anything??

4. How do you market yourself as a property manager? (What do people look for when they hire a property manager?)

5. What type of properties are property managers hired to manage? :D

1. That depends on the job.

2. That depends on the job.

3. That depends on the job.

4. You would demonstrate some experience with the tasks required. An on-site property manager has to deal with other tenants, sometimes during difficult situations. Can you knock on someone's door multiple times demanding rent be paid? How good are you at identifying problems and finding a solution? Do you have an eye for detail? Are you organized with paperwork?

5. What you're referring to sounds like an on-site property manager. You would be a direct employee of the Owner. They let you live on site and pay you a small salary in exchange for management of the property. The job can vary dramatically. You may be part of a larger team with multiple employees and even on-site maintenance. If it's a large enough facility, they may hire you for more administrative tasks or marketing. On a smaller property, they probably expect you to handle inspections, pick up trash, knock on doors to collect rent, etc.

 Great response. Liked how detailed you were on this! Thanks.