Choosing The Right Property Management Association
With so many options, choosing the right property management association can be challenging. Many associations cover multiple property types and all of them usually offer great membership benefits including government advocacy, exclusive educational content, and professional designations. Still, knowing the right one to join can be tough. To make choosing the right property management association easier, here’s a quick look at 5 major associations:
IREM – Institute of Real Estate Management
The leading organization nationally for commercial real estate, IREM is a great choice for both commercial and multi-family property managers. One thing that makes them a unique property management association is their affiliation with the National Association of Realtors. They offer the certified property manager designation and have local-level membership chapters around the country.
Common Member Property Types: Class A Offices, Shopping Centers, Retail, Multi-Family, Medical, Industrial
Common Member Job Titles: Property Manager, Asset Manager, Real Estate Manager, Commercial Property Manager
Click here to learn more about the Institute of Real Estate Management
CAI – Community Associations Institute
The largest and most well-known property management association nationally for condos, HOA’s, and co-op’s, CAI is the association for community managers. They focus exclusively on these property types and their membership consists of both community managers and community board members. CAI is a national organization with chapters in most major cities that routinely host events and trainings for local members.
Common Member Property Types: Condominiums, HOA’s, Co-Ops
Common Member Job Titles: Community Manager, Community Association Manager, Association Manager, Board Member, HOA President
Click here to learn more about the Community Associations Insitute
NAA – National Apartment Association
This association is perfect for multi-housing property managers looking for industry specific resources and training. They currently boast over 73,000 members who manage more than 9 million multi-family units. The National Apartment Association also offers tremendous educational resources and professional designations across all aspects of multi-family housing including management, leasing, and maintenance.
Common Member Property Types: Apartments, Student Housing, Senior Living, Military Housing
Common Member Job Titles: Property Manager, Asset Manager, Real Estate Manager, Commercial Property Manager
Click here to learn more about the National Apartment Association
BOMA – Building Owners and Managers Association
One of the oldest property management-focused organizations in the world, BOMA was founded in 1907 and today represents owners and managers of all types of commercial properties. Their members are responsible for more than 10.5 billion square feet of office space. They are an international organization with local chapters spread throughout the United States and major countries including Japan, Mexico, Australia, China, and Canada.
Common Member Property Types: Class A Offices, Shopping Centers, Retail, Multi-Family, Medical, Industrial
Common Member Job Titles: Property Manager, Asset Manager, Real Estate Manager, Commercial Property Manager
Click here to learn more about Building Owners and Managers Association
NARPM – National Association of Residential Property Managers
A relatively new organization that was founded in 1988, NARPM focuses on unifying and representing managers of small to medium-sized portfolios of residential rental properties. They have developed a national footprint with over 5,200 members and most major cities have a local chapter.
Common Member Property Types: Single-family homes, Vacation rentals, Portfolios of single-family homes
Common Member Job Titles: Property Manager, Real Estate Agent, Broker, Residential Property Manager
Click here to learn more about the National Association of Residential Property Managers
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