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As a property manager in Ohio, 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 Ohio, you may obtain a real estate broker from the Ohio Division of Real Estate. 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 120-hours pre-license education, pass the real estate salesperson exam, join a managing broker.
You will submit an application and a fee to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and go through a background check. The Ohio Division of Real Estate 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 Ohio, this is the guide for you. You’ll learn about the steps to become a property manager in Ohio 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.
7 Steps Become a Property Manager in Ohio
Step 1: Meet the eligibility requirement
- Citizen of the United States or lawfully admitted alien
- 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 are required to take 120 hours of courses, of which must consists of:
- Real Estate Principles and Practices (40 hours)
- Ohio Real Estate Law, including instruction in civil rights, housing discrimination and desegregation problems (40 hours)
- Real Estate Appraisal (20 hours)
- Real Estate Finance (20 hours)
An interesting note is that after you have completed the courses, you’ll have 10 years to submit the real estate salesperson application and to find a broker to sponsor your license.
But if you are truly serious in starting the property management career, there’s really no reason to wait that long.
Step 3: 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 Ohio. They are the one who would sponsor your real estate license.
However, not all managing brokers 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 Ohio.
Step 4: Go through a background check
The Ohio Real Estate Division needs to protect the public interest, so they will conduct a background check on all real estate license applicants.
To do so, you will schedule an appointment with a Webcheck user to have their fingerprints taken. You should confirm with the Webcheck user whether they will submit both state and FBI fingerprints to BCI&I as they are mandatory.
- BCI&I Reason Code: 4735 05 and/or 121 08
- FBI Reason Code: 121 08
On the day of appointment, be sure to bring along a valid government issued photo ID. You should also remind the Webcheck user to send the result to:
Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing
77 S High St., 20th Fl.
Columbus, OH 43215-6133
I checked with several providers. Their background check fee is around $60 to $80.
Step 5: Submit application to the Ohio Department of Commerce
Before you can write the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam, you must submit the License Examination Application to the Department.
In the application, you need to provide personal information such as your contact info, education level, date of birth, and the broker you will be working with. Your broker also needs to sign off this form.
In addition to the application, you are required to provide a $81 exam fee and official transcripts or completion certificates of the pre-license courses.
Once you have all the documents ready, you can mail it to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, 77 South High Street, 20th floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Step 6: Pass the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Examination
This examination is to test your knowledge and understanding of real estate law, principle and practices, and mathematics. It is administered by PSI.
The Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam has 120 questions. The required passing score is 70% and you’ll be given 180 minutes to write it.
Since these are computerized exams, you’ll immediately know your score after writing them. You can find more info about the exam further down this post.
Step 7: Maintain the Ohio real estate license
You need to renew your real estate license once every three years. The Division will only accept your application within 60 days prior to your license expiry date.
To do so, you’ll have to:
- Submit the renewal application
- Pay the $182 renewal fee
- Provide proof for completion of continuing education
You can do the license renewal online or through mail-in.
What is the continuing education requirement to renew the real estate license?
Within the first year you are required to complete a 20 hours of post licensing classes. Then on the subsequent renewals, you need to complete 30 hours of continuing education courses of which must include the 3 courses in:
- Civil Rights
- Core Law
- Canons of Ethics
For audit purposes, keep in mind you need to maintain the course completion certificates for at least 6 years.
A Quick Table Summary to be a Property Manager in Ohio
| Eligibility | Education | Exam | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| At least 18 years of age Have a valid Social Security Number Hold a high school diploma or equivalent | 120 hours of pre-license courses 20 hours of post-license courses 30 hours of continuing education every 3 year | 3 hours 120 multiple-choice questions Required passing score is 75% | Pre-licensing courses $999 approximately Background check $60 to $80 Application exam fee $81 |
FAQ on property management career in Ohio
How long does it take to become a property manager in Ohio?
It takes approximately four to six months to become a property manager in Ohio. But it also depends on the time it takes you to complete the 120 hours pre-licensing course, exam, background check, application, and get sponsorship by an actively licensed Ohio 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 Ohio?
It costs approximately $1140 to become a property manager in Ohio. That is the cost to get the real estate salesperson license and here is the breakdown:
- Pre-licensing courses approximately $999
- Exam fee $81
- Background check approximately $60
Can you become a property manager with a felony in Ohio?
An applicant with a felony may not obtain a real estate license to becoming a property manager if the Ohio Division of Real Estate 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 Department 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 Ohio?
Yes, there are some exceptions – for example, property owners do not need a license to manage their own properties. Also, a community association manager or condo association manager in Ohio do not need a real estate license.
How Much do Property Manager Make in Ohio?
Property managers in Ohio make an average annual income of $98,494. It typically range between $85,502 and $113,311. (*) 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 Ohio
Tip#1: Obtain the Ohio 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 Ohio 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: 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 managing broker license in Ohio, you must:
- Have at least 2 years of active real estate sales experience in the past 5 years;
- At least two years of post-secondary education, or equivalent hours of 60 semester or 90 quarter hours;
- Complete 120 hours of pre-license courses from an approved education provider;
- Pass the Ohio Real Estate Broker Exam;
- Go through a background check;
- Submit a Broker Exam Application and a $135 fee to the Ohio Division of Real Estate;
- Complete the 30 hours CE and license renewal requirement
Here’s a complete guide on how to get a broker license in Ohio.
I have more questions about the real estate license in Ohio, where can I get help?
The best would be to contact the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing:
- Phone: 614-466-4100
- Fax: 614-644-0584
- E-Mail:WebReal@com.state.oh.us
(**) 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:
- Ohio Division of Real Estate (source)
- Requirements for an Ohio Real Estate Salesperson’s License (source)
- Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing Real Estate Salesperson and Broker Candidate Information Bulletin (source)
- Salary.com – Property Manager in Ohio (source)
