Within one year of passing the exam the individual must be employed by an agent or company and then must apply to the Real Estate Council of B.C. for a licence. A licensed property manager may become an agent, who is permitted to own or be legally responsible for a property management or sales company. Requirements include a significant amount of additional education as well as at least two years' licensed experience. Another relevant program offered by BCIT is a two-year Marketing Management program, which contains a commercial real estate studies option. Applicants to the BCIT program require high school graduation.
Some employers require that property managers have additional credentials.
To become a CPM requires five years of experience and completion of the IREM program. This generally follows completion of a degree or college qualification in business administration, with some specialization in real estate and property appraisal studies. Once the CPM designation has been achieved, mandatory continuing education is required in order to maintain membership. Required courses are offered by Camosun College, VCC, Langara College and Okanagan University College. Candidates must successfully complete seven courses within the RPA program and three years of verifiable property management experience.