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As a property manager in Georgia, your duties may include finding and screening prospective tenants for a property, negotiating the lease terms. You could also be responsible for rent collection, property inspection, maintenance, repair, providing updates, and communicating with the property owner.
To become a property manager in Georgia, you may obtain a real estate broker from the Georgia Real Estate Commission. You may also get a real estate salesperson license and work under the supervision of a licensed broker. This requires you to be at least 18 years old, complete 75-hour of pre-license education, pass the real estate salesperson exam, join a GA brokerage.
You also need to submit an application and a fee of $175 to the Georgia Real Estate Commission and go through a background check. The Georgia Real Estate Commission is responsible for issuing real estate licenses and they also have the duty to ensure public interest can be safeguarded.
If you are interested in knowing about the property management career in Georgia, this is the guide for you. You’ll learn about the steps to become a property manager in Georgia income updates, career outlook, and FAQ about this profession.
But before we start, I want to give a brief disclaimer. This post is not intended as legal advice or state/federal real estate training. It is for general information only. Please always follow your State laws and best practices.
When choosing a real estate school, I prefer one where you could take the courses online. This way, you could study at your own pace whenever and wherever. The CE Shop is a trustworthy real estate education provider. You may click here to see whether they offer pre-licensing course in your state. (**)
A Table Summary to Become a Property Manager in Georgia
| Eligibility | Education | Exam | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| At least 18 years of age Have a valid Social Security Number Hold a high school diploma or equivalent | 75 hours of pre-license courses 25 hours of post-license courses within the first year 36 hours of continuing education every 4 year | 4 hours 152 multiple-choice questions Required passing score is 7 points | Pre-licensing courses $350 approximately Background check $51.50 Application fee $170 Exam fee $121 |
8 Steps Become a Property Manager in Georgia
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement
- At least 18 years of age
- Have a valid Social Security Number
- Hold a high school diploma or equivalent
Step 2: Complete the pre-licensing education
You need to take 75 hours of pre-license sales associates courses from a school approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission. You will learn real estate laws, types of interest and ownership in real estate, homeownership, legal descriptions, titles, liens, taxes, encumbrances, listing advertising, appraisal, finance, closings, and professional code of ethics.
Step 3: Go through a background check
The Georgia Real Estate Commission needs to protect the public interest, and they will conduct a background check on all real estate license applicants.
To do so, you will obtain a Georgia Criminal Information Center (GCIC) report from a local police station or sheriff’s department. There is a $51.50 fee.
You need to bring it to the AMP testing center before receiving a license.
Step 4: Submit an application to the Georgia Real Estate Commission
The next step is to complete the registration application. You could find the form within the application for the real estate examination.
In addition to the application, you also need to provide.
- Application fee of $170 – Cheque payable to Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC)
- Supporting legal documents
- Proof that you have fulfilled the pre-license education requirement
After you have prepared all the necessary documentation, you could mail them to the Investigations Section. Georgia Real Estate Commission, 229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1000- International Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1605.
If you need any help on the registration, you could contact the Georgia Real Estate Commission at:
- Phone: 404-656-3916
- Email: grecmail@grec.state.ga.us
Step 5: Pass the Georgia Real Estate Salesperson Examination
This examination is to test your knowledge and understanding of real estate law, principle and practices, and mathematics.
The Georgia Real Estate Salesperson Exam consists of 152 multiple choice questions with 2 main portions, the National Real Estate and Georgia Salesperson Supplement. You’ll be given 4 hours to complete the test. The required passing score is 75 points. (75/100 for the national portion; 39/52 for the Georgia Supplement portion of the exam)
The exam is administered by PSI, and the exam fee is $121. After you complete the test, the testing supervisor would provide you with the score report.
The Colibri is the online school that I like. Their Exam Prep have helped thousands of students pass their exam on the first try. They even have a “Pass or Don’t Pay” Guarantee. That’s why confident they are with their program. You may click here to view their exam prep. (**)
Step 6: Work for a Property Management Company
After you pass the exam, you must work with a property management company who holds a managing broker license in Georgia. This is the firm who would sponsor your real estate license.
However, not all brokerage provide property management services to their clients. Most brokerages focus only on the buy-sell side of the business. So make sure you find one that specializes in property management in Georgia.
Step 7: Complete the post-licensing courses
In the first year of getting the real estate salesperson license, you are required to take 25 hours of post-licensing courses. If you fail to do so, there could be a lapse in the status of the license.
Step 8: Maintain the salesperson license
You need to renew your real estate license once every four years. You may do so up to 120 days (4 months) before to the renewal date by through the Commission Online Services. There is a $125 renewal fee.
Your journey of equipping yourself with the real estate knowledge does not end after the exam. You are required to complete 36 hours of approved continuing education for every 4 years renewal period. Of which, it must include 3 hours of License Law.
Note: This CE requirement only applies those with license number greater than 100,000.
FAQ on property management career in Georgia
How long does it take to become a property manager in Georgia?
It takes approximately four to six months to become a property manager in Georgia. But it also depends on the time it takes you to complete the pre-licensing course, exam, background check, application, and get sponsorship by an actively licensed Georgia broker.
You may speed up in getting in becoming a property manager by taking online courses. This way, you’ll have the flexibility to finish the pre-licensing education at a quicker pace.
How much does it cost to become a property manager in Georgia?
It costs approximately $692.5 to become a property manager in Georgia. That is the cost to get the real estate salesperson license and here is the breakdown:
- Pre-licensing courses with exam prep $350 approximately
- Background check $51.50
- Application fee $170
- Exam fee $121
Can you become a property manager with a felony in Georgia?
An applicant with a felony may not obtain a real estate license to becoming a property manager if the Georgia Real Estate Commission determines that the offense is too severe. They would typically be more alarmed on incidents that impact the applicant’s honesty, trustworthiness, character, and integrity.
The Commission will evaluate each case independently. They may also require you to provide further documents and explanation about the incident.
Are there any exceptions to the license requirement to work as property manager in Georgia?
Yes, there are some limited exceptions – for example, property owners do not need a license to manage their own properties.
How to become a community association manager in Georgia?
To become a Community Association Manager, you need to obtain a CAM license from the Georgia Real Estate Commission. To do so, you must:
- Complete the 25-hour CAM Pre-license course
- Complete at least 4 quarter hours or 2 semester hours of either course work eligible for a major in real estate, or courses dealing with principles, fundamentals, or essentials of real estate, real property law, agency, or contract law from a accredited college or university
- Pass the Community Association Manager Exam (48 multiple-choice; exam fee $121)
How Much do Property Manager Make in Georgia?
Property managers in Georgia make an average annual income of $97,596. It typically range between $84,722 and $112,278. (*) Your earning as a property manager would depend on your skills, knowledge and experience in managing the properties. The type and number of real estate in your managing portfolio may also affect your compensation.
At the beginning phase of your property management career, you could be working as an assistant for a property manager. So your earning could be limited at that time.
But once you have developed the necessary skillset and demonstrated your ability to work independently, there should be a significant improvement to your earning.
(*) Source: Salary.com Feb 26, 2021
Practical tips to build a property management career in Georgia
Tip#1: Obtain the Georgia real estate license
Although there are certain activities you may perform without a real estate license, the things you can do are very limited. Once you have a real estate salesperson license, you may work under a licensed broker in providing key components of property management. For example, rent, list, negotiate property rental agreement, rents collection.
If you want to move up in the field, getting a real estate license is a “must”.
Tip#2: Network with other real estate professionals
You may consider joining the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). This allows you to connect with other property managers, thus learn from their valuable experience and share ideas with one another. You will also find updates on the housing markets, changes to the laws and regulations.
Another group you may consider is the Georgia Association of REALTORS. It consists of mostly real estate professionals. If you plan to run your own property management company, this can be a great referral source for your business.
Tip #3: Keep up to date with the real estate laws and best practices
Property managers are constantly tasked with new responsibilities and challenges. With the rise of online rental applications, environmental health and safety requirements, it’s important for property managers to be up-to-date on what their renters are looking for in a home.
You may also consider taking the following courses to equip yourself with the property management knowledge. They are offered by Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). IREM is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®.
- Managing Residential Properties (**)
- Managing Commercial Properties (**)
- Managing Condominium and Homeowners Associations (**)
Even though they are not part of the pre-license education requirement, your enhanced knowledge will help to set you apart from others in the industry.
Tip#4: Start your own property management company
Rather than working for someone else, you may consider getting a real estate broker license and start a property management company.
This allows you to hire other property managers with a real estate license. Thus, lead to a scalable business model.
However, running a company is very different from working as an employed property manager. You need to figure out all the different aspects of the business, such as marketing, branding, prospecting, hiring, training, and accounting.
The expenses will also be a lot higher. In addition to the broker license, you also need to account for business insurance, staff’s salary and benefits, office rent, furniture, office supplies, software, many more.
To obtain a real estate broker license in Georgia, you must:
- Be at least 21 years old;
- Have at least 3 years of active real estate sales experience in the past 5 years;
- Complete 60 hours of pre-license courses from an approved education provider;
- Pass the Georgia Real Estate Broker Exam;
- Go through a background check;
- Submit a Real Estate Broker Application and a $170 fee to the Georgia Real Estate Commission;
- Complete the 36 hours CE and license renewal requirement
Here’s a complete guide on how to get a real estate broker license in Georgia.
I have more questions about the real estate license in Georgia, where can I get help?
The best would be to contact the Georgia Real Estate Commission:
- Phone: 404-656-3916
- E-Mail: grecmail@grec.state.ga.us
Since you are reading up to this point, I bet you must be interested in becoming a property manager. If that requires you to get a real estate salesperson license in your state, your first step is to complete the pre-license education. You should select one that has an excellent reputation and a long-term track record of satisfying students. The Colibri is exactly that! You may click here to check it out yourself. (**)
(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change without any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. For full and exact details, please contact the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing.
Reference:
- Georgia Real Estate Commission (source)Approved Schools List (source)
- Georgia Real Estate Examination Program – Candidate Handbook (source)
- Salary.com – Property Manager in Georgia (source)
