Does a property manager need a license?

It depends on the state. Some require a real estate or property management license for anyone who leases or collects rent on someone else's behalf; others don't. Check your state's rules and say what's required in the posting.

Property manager vs leasing agent — what's the difference?

A leasing agent focuses on filling units: answering inquiries, giving tours, processing applications and signing leases. A property manager owns the whole property — leasing included, plus rent, maintenance, residents and owner reporting. Larger buildings split the roles; small portfolios usually don't.

How do property managers handle after-hours calls?

Usually with an on-call rotation, an answering service, or a maintenance line that rings a phone someone keeps by the bed. Whatever you use, write down which issues are emergencies before it matters — and say in the description whether on-call is part of the job.

Property Manager job description: duties, responsibilities & free template

What does a property manager do?

We're looking for a property manager to run our properties day to day. You'll fill vacancies, process applications and leases, collect rent and chase late payments, get maintenance requests resolved, run inspections, keep residents informed, and report to owners on how the property is doing. Residents judge the whole operation by how fast their problem gets handled.

Property Manager duties and responsibilities

Answer and route incoming calls
Take accurate messages and pass them on
Maintain filing and document systems
Show available units and walk prospects through the property
Process rental applications and coordinate screening
Prepare lease paperwork and walk new residents through move-in
Run lease renewals and track upcoming move-outs
Log maintenance requests and get vendors out to fix them
Collect rent, chase late payments and keep the ledger current
Run move-in, move-out and routine unit inspections
Report to owners on occupancy, income and expenses

Requirements

Experience in residential property management, leasing or a similar operations role
Comfortable with rent collection, late notices and difficult conversations
Able to coordinate vendors and keep maintenance moving
Familiar with fair housing rules and the discipline to apply them consistently
Organized with property management software, ledgers and lease files

Nice to have

A property management or real estate license where our state requires one
Experience with the property management software we use

Property Manager skills to screen for

Resident communicationRent collectionVendor coordinationLeasingFair housingReporting

Be honest about the phone

A property manager's phone never really closes. Prospects call about vacancies during the day; residents call about leaks at night and at weekends; owners call when the numbers look wrong. A missed prospect call is often a unit that stays empty another week.

Worth writing into the description rather than leaving as a surprise. Candidates who are good at it will recognize the description and apply; the ones who would have quit in month two will screen themselves out, which is the cheapest screening you will ever do.

What the hire actually covers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook puts the median wage for property, real estate, and community association managers at $69,990 a year ($33.65/hour) as of 2025, before employer payroll taxes, benefits and paid time off. Source.

Either way you get 40 of the 168 hours in a week. The remaining 128 — evenings, weekends, lunch cover, sick days, holidays — are hours our properties still takes calls, and nobody is on the desk for them.

Hire the person. Just budget for the gap too: the employee cost calculator shows what the hire really costs once taxes and benefits are in, and the missed-call cost calculator shows what the uncovered hours cost.

Property Manager FAQ

What does a property manager do?+
Runs a property on the owner's behalf: filling vacancies, screening applicants, signing leases, collecting rent, getting maintenance done, running inspections, handling resident issues and reporting to the owner on income and expenses. In a small portfolio the same person does all of it.
Does a property manager need a license?+
It depends on the state. Some require a real estate or property management license for anyone who leases or collects rent on someone else's behalf; others don't. Check your state's rules and say what's required in the posting.
Property manager vs leasing agent — what's the difference?+
A leasing agent focuses on filling units: answering inquiries, giving tours, processing applications and signing leases. A property manager owns the whole property — leasing included, plus rent, maintenance, residents and owner reporting. Larger buildings split the roles; small portfolios usually don't.
How do property managers handle after-hours calls?+
Usually with an on-call rotation, an answering service, or a maintenance line that rings a phone someone keeps by the bed. Whatever you use, write down which issues are emergencies before it matters — and say in the description whether on-call is part of the job.

The other 128 hours

Make the hire. Cover the rest of the week.

RingOwl answers the calls your front desk can't — after hours, at lunch, and on the second line when the first one's busy. It books appointments into your calendar, takes messages, and emails you a summary of every call.

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