Frequently Asked Questions

Managers with an IREM CPM earn 144% more than the average property manager salary in the U.S. That’s based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor showing that property managers, in general, have an average base salary of $48,340 versus the average CPM salary with a base of $118,000. ^2,3

Yes, judging from the IREM Profile and Compensation Study – CPM edition which shows that a self-reported 53% of CPMs hold Officer/Director/VP, Regional/District Manager, Owner/Partner, President/CEO/COO positions. ¹

Courses are available in the classroom in certain locations and also online. Ethics for the Real Estate Manager (ETH800) must be taken either live-online or in the classroom. View all courses to learn more

You must complete all courses and pass a final 50-question exam for each.

The total process from enrollment to graduation takes an average of 18-24 months.

Yes. You need to attend at least two IREM chapter events within the 12 months prior to graduation.

Refer to the CPM Handbook for detailed information about the CPM Capstone two-part final assessment.

We highly recommend the following sequence:

• Ethics for the Real Estate Manager (ETH800)
• Budgeting, Cash Flow, and Reporting for Investment Real Estate (FIN402)
• Marketing and Leasing Strategies for Investment Properties (MKL410)
• Leading a Winning Property Management Team (HRS402)
• Managing Maintenance Operations and Property Risk (MNT402)
• Financing and Loan Analysis for Investment Real Estate (ASM603)
• Performance and Valuation of Investment Real Estate (ASM604)
• Asset Analysis of Investment Real Estate (ASM605)

* Ethics for the Real Estate Manager (ETH800) is offered in the classroom or live-online and can be taken at any point in the process.

Between $7,500 and $8,500. A breakdown of costs is included below

Candidates need a total of 36 months of qualifying experience by the time of graduation. This means performing at least 19 of 36 real estate management functions on a real estate portfolio that meets minimum sizes.

Learn more about this requirement in the CPM Handbook

To maintain the CPM designation, you will need to pay annual CPM dues, IREM chapter dues, and NAR dues.

Completing all 8 certification courses, and completing and passing the CPM capstone, plus being a CPM candidate for at least 12 months would make you eligible for CPM graduation. Once you are eligible for graduation, IREM HQ will contact you to provide you with the graduation and experience forms, when needed. Submission of these is your very last step in earning your CPM.

Certainly. If you would like to use military funding to pay for your courses, you will need to inform us at getinfo@irem.org of the courses you wish to pay for with the funding. Once you inform us, we will create an invoice for you so that you can get funding for the correct amount. Once funding is received, you will be registered for those courses. Since this process may take some time, we recommend you choose a course offering that is far enough in advance to give you leeway for the registration.