September 21-October 4, 2016 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— Page 15B
ndustries are in con-
stant flux. As such,
the pursuit of educa-
tion should be impor-
tant to all property managers
in order to stay relevant and
cutting-edge in their respec-
tive field.
Staying
abreast of
the latest
develop-
ments, skills
and new
technologies
are a must.
In order to
stay current
in the mar-
ket, property
managers
need to be
generalists
– knowledge-
able enough on a topic to be
dangerous, but wise enough
to know when to rely on the
guidance of experts. Topics
are numerous and cover
different disciplines – law,
accounting, architecture, ten-
ant relations, mechanical
systems, construction, leasing
and technology. The list is
endless.
Here are some reasons why
education is important now
and in the future.
Career Advancement.
Your
knowledge and skill sets need
to be up-to-date with the lat-
est market trends valued by
your industry so your employ-
er and owner will continue
to view you as an asset. An
excellent way to demonstrate
that is by going back to school
in the pursuit of a real estate
license or professional certi-
fication – even better if the
employer pays for it!
By investing time and
money in your education, you
will send a powerful message
that you are serious about
a life-long career versus a
momentary job. Improving
your education and applying
the newly learned skills will
increase the long-term value
you bring to the table and
hopefully parlay into a promo-
tion.
Money.
Did I say money? A
higher-education level usually
translates into more money.
Census surveys show that
those with higher levels of
education – such as a bach-
elor degree – make around
50 percent more a year than
people with only lower-level
education – high school diplo-
ma or equivalent.
According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), property and real
estate managers could antici-
pate a 12 percent growth in
career opportunities between
2014 and 2022. According to
the BLS, the average annual
wage for these profession-
als in the Denver area was
$66,950 in May 2015.
Marketability.
In property
management, properties are
bought and sold on a frequent
basis. As such, it is to your
benefit to have a thorough
understanding of current
market trends and technol-
ogy. Obtaining a professional
designation such as a RPA,
FMA, or HP along with a real
estate license and continual
reading of various real estate
publications, you are able to
enhance your appeal to your
current and future employers!
Final Thought.
“We are the
average of the five people we
spend the most time with,”
Jim Rohn once said. Surround
and associate yourself with
successful peers. Find posi-
tive, intelligent, hard work-
ing, honest people that con-
tinually inspire and challenge
you to stretch your perceived
limits.
“Education’s purpose is to
replace an empty mind with
an open one,” said Nelson
Mandela. Simply put, never
stop learning.
Heather
Sutton
LBA Realty
I
Earl Behnke with Westfield Property Services once said,
I have 25 BOMAbooks that I turn to frequently. So the
education aspect that the organization gives me and my
company, and everybody else, the benchmarking through the
Experience Exchange Report, the legislative affairs. …BOMA is
taking care of problems before you hear about it on the 6 o’clock
news and that matters very much to me and my company.
Spotlight
