Real Estate Property Management

The Real Estate Property Management Certificate of Achievement is designed for students who want to gain essential skills in managing income-producing real property, such as residential one-to-four unit multiplexes, apartments, commercial retail/office/mixed-use properties, community associations, planned urban developments, time-share developments, on-site and off-site management, and physical maintenance. These skills will prepare students for employment in property management companies.

Program Goals

The Real Estate Property Management Certificate of Achievement is designed for students who want to gain essential skills in managing income-producing real property, such as residential one-to-four unit multiplexes, apartments, commercial retail/office/mixed-use properties, community associations, planned urban developments, time-share developments, on-site and off-site management, and physical maintenance. These skills will prepare students for employment in property management companies. 

Students who complete the program will be able to:

· Understand significant issues affecting a property’s performance and the respective tenant lease responsibilities. 

· Understand the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics.

· Interpret and discuss various principles of real estate property management.

· Understand the various types of proprietary property management portals and cloud-based software.

· Discuss the real estate taxation of residential, income property, and investments.

· Evaluate compliance with regulations, government agency directives, and environmental considerations. 

· Evaluate service contract requirements, oversee tenant improvement projects, prepare specifications, obtain/evaluate bids, negotiate and manage vendor contracts, and monitor performance through regular inspections.

Program Objectives

The program will provide students with the knowledge and skills to:

· Conduct property inspections, coordinate major repairs with tenant to minimize negative customer impacts. 

· Investigate and report all accidents and property damage to appropriate management and authorities 

· Conduct property showings and prepare lease agreements for prospective tenants 

· Resolve property issues in a professional and timely manner and oversee activities to promote solid, reliable relationships with tenants.

· Evaluate service contracts with vendors, obtain and evaluate bids. 

· Assist with required financial reporting to owners and/or accounting firm.

· Oversee the rent collection process.

El Camino College’s real estate program is one of the oldest programs at the college. The department has a strong reputation of producing high-quality students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in the industry. Over the last two decades, with the expansion of the internet, many private schools began offering real estate courses entirely online, which meet the state requirements. However, El Camino College has the expertise and reputation to provide a superior alternative to those private programs.

Based on the Real Estate Department's 2019 program review, El Camino College has seen increasing enrollment in our real estate courses over the last five years. The department had an all-time high of 453 enrolled students in the 2018-2019 academic year. For comparison purposes, the 2014-2015 academic year reflected an enrollment of 230 students. El Camino College’s real estate program ranks sixth in the entire state based on enrollment numbers, and is only 88 students shy of ranking first in the state.

While department enrollment has grown, the program offerings have remained static. Based on our program review, our current offerings do no fully align with the industry and the demand for fully qualified real estate professionals. The department has only offered one associate degree and two certificate programs, which have not been aligned to changes in the industry or adjusted to meet the strong labor demand for real estate professionals.

Currently, there is high demand for entry-level to middle-skilled level real estate professionals.  The Los Angeles/Orange County Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research recently indicated that the labor market demand for the real estate industry is not being met by the current supply of community college programs. Based on the COE data, the department’s advisory committee recommended that the department expand the number of certificates offered in the program to add eight new specialized certificates to better prepare students for future careers in various real estate specializations.  

This Certificate of Achievement – Real Estate Property Management, will prepare more students for real estate specialization positions and help meet the labor demand in the region.  This certificate is part of the greater expansion of the real estate program at El Camino College.  In addition, this certificate will support students who aspire to become real estate professionals by encouraging them to continue their education and obtain specialized certifications.

This program has been endorsed by the COE.