The RPA® designation program serves the educational needs of both third-party property managers and corporate property managers. By familiarizing you with the many aspects of operating a commercial building, the RPA® designation program helps you integrate these issues into the broader task of property management.  You’ll gain the insight and knowledge necessary to analyze a building in its entirety:

• building systems design;
• operation, and maintenance;
• commercial real estate law; 
• investment and finance;
• risk management and insurance;
• leasing and marketing;
• asset management;
• environmental health and safety; and more.

The RPA® program teaches you to maximize a building’s net income while minimizing risks, thereby enhancing your standing in the industry and positioning you for long-term success.

Benefits of an RPA®

There are significant benefits to both the individual and the employer when an employee works to obtain their RPA® designation.

ENERGY SAVINGS

An RPA® understands how a building operates at peak efficiency and can implement an effective energy management program. With a working knowledge of all integrated building systems and their care and maintenance, an RPA® can reduce operating costs, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

LIFE CYCLE COST SAVINGS

The RPA® is a long-range planning strategist with a formula for getting the most value for the replacement, retrofit, and maintenance dollar. With a thorough understanding of project development, codes, regulations, lighting principles, equipment, pest control, and security, the RPA® will not waste dollars on short-run purchases, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

BUDGET CONTROL

The RPA® manages from a finely-tuned, financial perspective. Putting this knowledge into practice means more dollars to your company’s bottom line, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

REDUCED RISK

The RPA® is skilled in risk appraisal, personal and property liability insurance, self-insurance, and other important techniques for handling risk. By reducing your exposure to unnecessary risk, the RPA® can help SAVE YOU MONEY.

PROPERTY PROTECTION

The RPA® recognizes potential legal problems, addressing them correctly and avoiding them if possible. By tapping working knowledge of the critical aspects of owner liability and judicial procedure, the RPA® can properly protect your property, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

ASSET MANAGEMENT

The RPA® has a complete background in investment finance and investments valuation. The RPA® makes decisions on a day-to-day basis, understands how to guard the company’s balance sheet, and contributes to the overall profitably of the business, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

STAFF LEADERSHIP

Being an RPA® means complying with a standard code of ethics and conduct in employer, employee, vendor, and contractor relationships. The increased knowledge and practical personnel management techniques of an RPA® can reduce turnover, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

STABILITY

The RPA® understands a property’s life cycle from conceptualization to demolition. Fundamental knowledge of structural design, property analysis, and real estate values maximizes return on investment in each phase of the cycle, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

MARKETING RESULTS

The RPA® realizes the importance of tenant management relationships. The RPA® is well-versed in marketing strategy, property analysis and survey, lease documents, negotiation, tenant renewal, and the turnaround of troubled properties, minimizing lease turnover, helping to SAVE YOU MONEY.

ROI

When your company invests in education for your onsite team, the organization gains a step-by-step approach to effective management. The RPA®  education program creates enthusiasm, job satisfaction, and knowledge, translating to increased efficiency and having a trained staff that will help to SAVE YOU MONEY.

Required Courses

In order to achieve your designation you must achieve a grade of 70% or greater on all eight courses. You will be required to complete the following to fulfill the requirements of the program.

Core Courses (5)

• Environmental Health and Safety Issues
• Ethics is Good Business® Short Course ™
• Real Estate Investment and Finance
• The Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part I
• The Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part II

RPA Specific Courses (2)

• Budgeting and Accounting
• Law & Risk Management

Elective Courses (choose one)

• Asset Management
• Fundamentals of Real Property Administration
• Leasing and Marketing for Property Managers
• Managing the Organization

Experience Requirement

Before you can be awarded your RPA® designation, you must fulfill the RPA®  Experience Requirement, as follows:

• The experience must be related to a minimum property portfolio of 40,000 square feet.
• The experience must demonstrate that you have met at least 18 of the 33 criteria (refer to the RPA Experience criteria)
• The experience may be obtained through more than one employer as long as 18 different criteria are met. The experience must be verified by each employer listed on the application.