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Real estate investor vs property manager

The differences between real estate investors and property managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a real estate investor and a property manager. Additionally, a real estate investor has an average salary of $81,345, which is higher than the $49,958 average annual salary of a property manager.

The top three skills for a real estate investor include residential real estate, real estate license and general contractors. The most important skills for a property manager are customer service, property management, and financial reports.

Real estate investor vs property manager overview

Real Estate InvestorProperty Manager
Yearly salary$81,345$49,958
Hourly rate$39.11$24.02
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs18,76115,402
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4848
Years of experience66

What does a real estate investor do?

Also called real estate entrepreneurs, real estate investors are professionals who invest in real estate. Real estate investors purchase a property, make some improvements or repairs. They then sell the property for profit. It is their responsibility to assess the real estate market and properties already bought to build wealth. They need to develop skills in communication, marketing, investment, and customer service. Also, they should have a significant level of knowledge about the real estate business.

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.

Real estate investor vs property manager salary

Real estate investors and property managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Real Estate InvestorProperty Manager
Average salary$81,345$49,958
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $124,000Between $34,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Nokia
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between real estate investor and property manager education

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

Real Estate InvestorProperty Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Real estate investor vs property manager demographics

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

Real Estate InvestorProperty Manager
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 68.4% Female, 31.6%Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between real estate investor and property manager duties and responsibilities

Real estate investor example responsibilities.

  • Establish and manage an LLC for real estate investment properties in the state of Florida.
  • Manage reporting requirements to senior management on status of real estate portfolio.
  • Provide administrative management of a portfolio of assign commercial real estate loans in accordance with credit policy requirements for risk management.
  • Generate valuations of IRR, NPV, and other financial ratios for investors emphasizing return on investment.
  • Review loan documents and assist in the workout process to determine an optimal workout strategy in order to maximize loan NPV.
  • Identify internal and external customer needs and addressed concerns and conflicts regarding SBA, bank policy and procedures.

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 investor vs property manager skills

Common real estate investor skills
  • Residential Real Estate, 12%
  • Real Estate License, 11%
  • General Contractors, 10%
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • Property Management, 5%
  • Real Estate Investments, 5%
Common property manager skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Property Management, 14%
  • Financial Reports, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Yardi, 6%
  • Resident Retention, 3%

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