I'm supposed to protect the property and maintain the property, and make sure that everything is done as if an owner lived here. 

 Nancy Jackson is a jack-of-all-trades. It comes with the territory of being a property manager. 

 I have to be basically the liaison between the owner and the tenant. We do a lease, and the lease is with my company, and then I collect the rent each month. And if the tenant doesn't pay the rent, unfortunately then we have to take other action. 

 Nancy inspects the properties she manages for maintenance issues. If something needs to be repaired, she steps in. 

 See here we have a gate that the tenant reported as a problem. So what we're going to do is, in order to prevent the owner from having to buy an entirely new gate, we're just going to secure it back. 

 So you have to be handy? 

 Yes, that's a very good trait to have as a property manager. 

 There we go. 

 Excellent. 

 Nicely done. 

 Thank you. 

 And you have to be able to work with people. 

 You have to be thick-skinned in this business because you are dealing with property; you're dealing with money. 

 So, you kind of have to be able to juggle those emotions and, 

 Yes. 

 Be able to deal with people and all kinds of things going on. Get ready to juggle a busy schedule if you plan to work for yourself, like Nancy. 

 I work about 60 to 80 hours a week, but I can make my own hours as a property manager, so that's the nice thing about it. It's not a typical office or desk job. 

 Commercial property managers employed by large companies typically work 40 hours a week, with less responsibility. 

 They might segregate the duties into a property manager specialist, a rental specialist who just takes care of the leasing portion of the property, and then the different support staff. 

 Employment for property managers is on the rise because the rental industry is growing, and you'll have an even better chance of landing a job if you've got at least a bachelor's degree. 

 The closest degree would be a real estate degree. To do the renting of the property, you do have to have a real estate license. 

 There are plenty of jobs you can get as a property manager. 

 A residential property manager, a commercial property manager where you're handling commercial properties, retail spaces in shopping malls and so forth, large apartment buildings. So of these tiles, which one do you recommend? 

 Back at the office, Nancy meets with vendors who take care of everything from plumbing to flooring at the properties she manages. What kind of salary can be expected for students that have just gotten their license or licenses and are ready to go into this business? 

 Probably an hourly wage, initially, maybe $15 an hour and up. 

 But, Nancy says when you work for yourself, the pay can be more rewarding. 

 As a property manager, you could also make additional money if you had a real estate license and then rented the property, and then you'd be eligible for compensation for that as well. 

 To manage property, you've got to have organizational skills and know how to manage your time. 

 Hey, Ferrari; I've got some great bedtime reading for you to do. Landlord tenant law; no property manager should leave home without it. 

 Oh, how exciting. Apparently I've got some homework to do, so this might be a good time for you guys to head out. See you next time. 

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