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Property manager vs real estate agent

The differences between property managers and real estate agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a real estate agent has an average salary of $91,788, which is higher than the $49,958 average annual salary of a property manager.

The top three skills for a property manager include customer service, property management and financial reports. The most important skills for a real estate agent are customer service, real estate license, and excellent interpersonal.

Property manager vs real estate agent overview

Property ManagerReal Estate Agent
Yearly salary$49,958$91,788
Hourly rate$24.02$44.13
Growth rate3%5%
Number of jobs15,40241,399
Job satisfaction54
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4849
Years of experience6-

What does a property manager do?

Property managers are responsible for overseeing the real estate properties of their clients. They manage property rentals and leasing and ensure that the terms on these rentals are by what the owner is amenable to. Property managers act as the representative of their client during negotiations and deals. They also set rental prices and other finance-related items since they are familiar with how the market looks. Besides dealing with financial matters, they also manage administrative matters such as enforcing rules and policies, crafting reports, managing contractors, and drafting related documents.

What does a real estate agent do?

A real estate agent helps owners in the selling or renting of houses, land, offices, buildings, or any piece of property. They should be knowledgeable in the area they work in, which local properties are in the market, and the competitive prices for various properties. It is their responsibility to either market or sells in the best possible and reasonable price and conditions. Negotiating is a vital skill for real estate agents as they act as the middleman for buyers and sellers. Most agents bill the client with a percentage of the final sale price as the fee, but some would get a fixed commission for every sale.

Property manager vs real estate agent salary

Property managers and real estate agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Property ManagerReal Estate Agent
Average salary$49,958$91,788
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $72,000Between $66,000 And $126,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYLong Beach, NY
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWest Virginia
Best paying companyNokiaSanta Clara Valley Water District
Best paying industryProfessionalFinance

Differences between property manager and real estate agent education

There are a few differences between a property manager and a real estate agent in terms of educational background:

Property ManagerReal Estate Agent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern California-

Property manager vs real estate agent demographics

Here are the differences between property managers' and real estate agents' demographics:

Property ManagerReal Estate Agent
Average age4849
Gender ratioMale, 38.1% Female, 61.9%Male, 43.4% Female, 56.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 70.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%13%

Differences between property manager and real estate agent duties and responsibilities

Property manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage condominiums for individual investors; enforce lease requirements/community policies.
  • Design and manage all company facebook accounts for residents and prospective residents regarding property information and general interest articles.
  • Update resident and unit information utilizing property management software (OneSite )
  • Maintain OSHA files, employee files, payroll files and staff PTO accruals.
  • Record journal entries for accruals.
  • Process applications and coordinate lease signing with new residents in YARDI.
  • Show more

Real estate agent example responsibilities.

  • Manage all accounting, cash management, budgeting and financing for individual LLC's and for corporate entity.
  • Manage extremely complex REO and short sale transactions, coordinating sellers, buyers, and lenders in order to complete them.
  • Create ad campaigns via Google ad-words and Facebook.
  • Determine whether title transfers are assessable for taxation.
  • Learn all phases of real estate ethics, practice and procedures.
  • Review and analyze corporate leases, securities offerings, and secure transactions.
  • Show more

Property manager vs real estate agent skills

Common property manager skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Property Management, 14%
  • Financial Reports, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Yardi, 6%
  • Resident Retention, 3%
Common real estate agent skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Real Estate License, 11%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 10%
  • Real Estate Market, 10%
  • Open Houses, 7%
  • Develop Marketing Materials, 6%

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