All Forum Posts by: Brad Bartlett

@ Jake Calle  I agree with Adrian. It really depends on what your goals are. Getting your real estate license is mostly about learning state licensing law. The class will teach you very little about real estate valuation, sales, and how to make a living in real estate. I’m not trying to discourage you. There are a lot of good reasons to have your real estate license too. I could give better advice if I know more about your goals.

The biggest real estate school in the Tampa area is probably Bob Hogue School of Real Estate.

Thanks Laurie. I'm glad we finally have an evening REIA meeting. I'll be there despite it being the same night as a Lightning home game. LOL. I look forward to meeting everyone else.

Welcome to BP. I’m a new BP user myself.

Checking with the Florida Real Estate Commission is a good place to start, but the lack of complaints doesn’t help much. FREC is responsible for real estate licensing law. It’s possible to comply with the law, but still not provide good service for management clients. The biggest complaints I hear from people towards management companies is difficulty in reaching the manager and a lack of good reporting. Has it been easy to reach the manager? Make sure the management agent has experience with the property type you own and ask for a sample reporting package. Ask for their reporting schedule and make sure the schedule is frequent enough for you and the reports are detailed enough for you. The reporting schedule and details of the reporting package should be part of your management agreement.

The best way to know if a management company is "authentic" is to ask other people that use the company. If that isn't feasible, I would look for a property manager that has the Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). CPMs are required to demonstrate management expertise and abide by a strict code of ethics. CPMs have a fiduciary responsibility and are required to put the client first. Also, real estate management firms can earn the Accredited Management Organization (AMO) accreditation. The AMO means the company has a certain level of standards and must also abide by a strict code of ethics.

Good evening everyone. I am happy to find a place with like-minded individuals with whom I can discuss real estate. I have over 16 years experience doing property management, asset management, acquisitions, dispositions, and development for large companies. I have started a property management/realty company to expand my personal real estate portfolio and help others become real estate investors. I am looking forward to increasing my real estate knowledge and using my knowledge to help other people on Bigger Pockets.