Apartment Manager

Education and Training: High school diploma
Average Salary: $36,000 per year
Job Outlook: Good

Apartment mangers are in charge with the overall supervision and operation of an apartment complex that is under their care. Providing good service and solving issues within the apartment community is a requirement that would test the communication and listening skills of any aspiring apartment manager.

Promote the apartment and arrange financial matters. For those who are assigned to apartments that are either newly constructed or built in a poorly located area would have to find various and innovative means to promote the apartment complex and attract tenants. This can include placing vacancy ads in the newspapers, posting flyers on bulletin boards, and using new media like websites and the Internet to fuel more traffic to the apartment. At the same time, keeping the existing tenants by giving privileges within the budget is also part of the job. As a manager, rents, bills, and accounts is a big part of the job description since it involves mathematical, strategic, and communication skills.

Supervise the workers in the apartment. Similar to a hotel setting, the apartment manager can hire, supervise, and train the personnel that work for the apartment complex. Since he or she will answer directly to the owner of the apartment, it is the manager’s duty to ensure that everything is in working order. From accountants that balance the bills and rents of tenants to cleaning services, they have to make sure that nothing is out of place or that things are dealt with smoothly.

Resolve problems that may arise. As in any community, conflict can easily arise among the tenants. These conflicts can be between two neighbors or tenants, which the apartment manager should try to deal with if the tenants come directly to the manager. Tenants’ complaints and queries should also be addressed to the apartment manager, who will then have to find a solution or a compromise.

Education and Training Requirements

Because apartment managers will be in charge of promoting the apartment, managing the tenants and workers, and settling disputes and concerns, it is a requirement to have at least achieved a high school diploma to be a good candidate. This is because the basic managerial and accounting skills, as well as communication and rapport with other people, would be trained during these years.

For a higher level of managerial jobs, like property manager, a real estate license and a college level education with a degree in business or management would be required.

Getting the Job

Even if a job seems to require minimal educational achievements, there are more people who are trying out for jobs that may not match their educational attainment. This is the reason why, to get an edge as an apartment manager, one has to have a good set of communication skills. Relating with people is integral in the job, therefore, an apartment manager has to know how to convey messages, needs, concerns, and queries in a polite and engaging manner so as not to lose business or profit.

Additional skills that would be helpful in landing the job would be practical knowledge of building maintenance, since a manager would be in charge of the overall caretaking of the apartment and its people.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook and Career Development

With the movement from residential houses to apartment complexes and building units, more residential buildings are on the rise, hence the need for more apartment managers in the future. Given the economy and the preference for a temporary studio unit than a permanent house, aspiring apartment managers would find that there would be more residential buildings in need of a managerial head to take care of the business and the future tenants.

Working Conditions and Environment

Apartment managers are usually on-site managers, living in one of the units in the apartment that he or she manages. This makes it easier for taking care of any concerns, as well as making it more convenient in the event of property or tenant tours.

Even so, apartment managers would often face long hours including weekend work or night shifts, especially if there are several problems and conflicts arising at the same time. This means that they can be on-call twenty-four hours a day on a daily basis if necessary. Because of this, apartment managers would have to know how to handle stress and multitask to avoid being overwhelmed with work. As it is physically demanding, the job would entail someone who can manage the well-being of both the tenant and himself in the long run.

Salary and Benefits

The average income of an apartment manager is $36,000 per year. However, because an apartment manager’s living space and workstation is ideally the same, and that, similar to those working in sales, their work has a huge effect on their livelihood, salaries may also depend on the success of the apartment managers. The better that one can handle rent collection, apartment repairs, and the like, the fewer deductions or changes there will be in salary.

Where to Go for More Information

American Apartment Owners Association
10955 Westmoor Dr., #400
Westminster, CO 80021
(866) 579-2262
www.american-apartment-owners-association.org

American Property Management
3613 Marconi Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95281
(916) 488-6899
www.amerpropmgmt.com

Habitat America
175 Admiral Cochrane Dr., Ste. 202
Anapolis, MD 21401
(443) 716-2550
www.habitatamerica.com

Mid America Management, Inc.
205 W Walnut St., Ste. 105
Springfield, MO 65806
(417) 447-6303
www.midamproperties.com</a