Designation & Certificate Programs

NAA Education Institute

Purpose

The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) is the education arm of the National Apartment Association.

Vision

The NAA Education Institute will be the preeminent national provider of education and apartment career development programs for the apartment industry.

Mission

The mission of the NAA Education Institute is to provide broad-based education, training and recruitment programs that attract, nurture and retain high-quality professionals and develop tomorrow’s apartment industry leaders.

Courses Offered

View all of the AANM designation and certificate programs below. For more information, click on the name of the course below or view our upcoming classes to register.

CAM CAMT NALP CAPS CAS IROP SHCM

You can also view a list of upcoming classes with AANM.

Certified Apartment Manager (CAM)

The onsite manager is a vital link between apartment residents and the community owners and investors. 

Earning your CAM credential allows you to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and ability to manage an apartment community and achieve owners’ investment goals.

You'll learn about:

  • Occupancy rates
  • Comprehensive marketing plans
  • Sales team management and product readiness
  • Equitable treatment of current and potential residents
  • Resident retention and the maintenance of a positive company image
  • Consistent and ongoing resident communication
  • Positive resident service and issue resolution
  • Enforcement of company policy in compliance with laws and regulations
  • Property inspections
  • Preventive maintenance programs
  • Service request process
  • Apartment turnover process
  • Contractors and vendors
  • Recruitment, hiring, orientation and training of high-caliber employees
  • Systematic employee evaluation
  • Employment regulations and record keeping
  • Analysis of the property’s financial operations with corrective actions for underperformance
  • Monitoring of property performance to achieve the owner’s investment goals
  • Accounting principles and practices
  • Maximizing net operating income
  • Reporting property performance honestly and accurately

CAM Requirements

CAM candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the CAM credential. Candidates must complete the coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.

  • Minimum of 12 months of onsite property management experience
  • Successful completion of CAM coursework, eight modules (40 hours)
  • Passing both parts of CAM exam

Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT)

Maintenance expenses are the single largest controllable element in any operating budget. This course is designed as an introduction for new maintenance professionals or as a refresher for the veteran employee, to give these professionals the knowledge and tools necessary to run an effective maintenance program.

Earning your CAMT validates your knowledge, enhances your reputation and credibility, boosts your confidence and earns you respect.

The CAMT program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system.

You'll learn about:

  • Processing work orders correctly in a timely fashion, and to residents' satisfaction
  • Electrical services and repairs
  • HVAC services and repairs
  • Painting services
  • Construction services and repairs
  • Mechanical services and repairs
  • Appliance services and repairs
  • Lock and key services and repairs
  • Customer service and performing maintenance tasks according to company policy and procedures
  • Minimizing personal and property damage while safely performing maintenance activities
  • Fair housing regulation compliance
  • Environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance
  • Reporting and documentation of maintenance activities in compliance with company policy and regulation
  • Curb appeal, property inspection, and daily maintenance
  • Established procedures for maintaining recreational facilities and common areas
  • Implementation of a preventive maintenance schedule
  • Repair and replacement decisions
  • Professional behavior patterns, communication skills, and appearance
  • Clear and respectful communication with residents, team members, and contractors.

CAMT Requirements

Certificate candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the CAMT credential:

  • Candidates must complete coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.
  • Minimum of 12 months of apartment or rental housing maintenance experience (this requirement may be met after completion of coursework and exam. During that period a candidate holds a Provisional CAMT).
  • Successful completion of CAMT coursework, six courses plus online content (80 hours)
    Passing CAMT exam

Certified Apartment Leasing Professional (CALP)

Leasing professionals are the first people prospective residents meet, and often their only gauge of the property staff. This course is designed to teach these professionals skills to help them become top producers.

Earning CALP, your first industry credential, signals to an employer your commitment to a career in residential property management.

You'll learn about:

  • Using technology to generate traffic
  • Monitoring and managing your community’s reputation
  • Inspecting the leasing center, tour route, model units, and vacant apartments
  • Shopping the competition while building relationships with competitors
  • Compiling a comprehensive community resource tool
  • Effective marketing plans
  • Relationship sales process and evaluating personal sales performance
  • Evaluating a prospect’s commitment level and overcoming objections
  • Reviewing the next steps in the sales process with prospective residents
  • Applying fair housing laws and communicating rental criteria
  • Qualifying prospective residents according to rental policy
  • Preparing and reviewing leases with new residents
  • The move-in process
  • Responding to resident issues and maintenance requests with appropriate follow-up
  • Building relationships with residents and creating a sense of community
  • Reporting incidents, maintaining documentation, and taking corrective action
  • Maximizing revenue and operational efficiency
  • Securing and processing lease renewals
  • Conducting a market survey

CALP Requirements

CALP Candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the CALP credential. Candidates must complete coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.

  • Minimum of 6 months of onsite property management experience (this requirements may be met after completion of coursework, Market Survey and exam. During that period a candidate holds a Provisional CALP).
  • Successful completion of seven modules (25 hours)
  • Passing the Market Survey
  • Passing CALP exam

Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS)

NAAEI’s Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) program is an in-depth review of property management principles and techniques as used by the professional supervisor.

Earning your CAPS takes you to the next level in property management. It fast-tracks your career advancement and your corresponding earning potential.

You'll learn about:

  • Recruiting high-performing employees
  • Employee performance, engagement, and retention
  • Minimizing conflict through stakeholder communications
  • Ethical behavior and conflicts of interest
  • Annual operating budgets and owner performance objectives
  • Property and portfolio results
  • Due diligence process
  • Property takeover process
  • Capital improvement plans
  • Managing risk through inspections, follow-up procedures, and incident reporting compliance
  • Minimizing legal risk and liability
  • Regulatory agency oversight of assisted housing
  • Analyzing property performance data to inform action
  • Management agreements
  • Evaluating and reporting property performance using key performance indicators

CAPS Requirements

CAPS candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the CAPS credential. Candidates must complete the coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.

  • Minimum of 24 months of multi-site property management experience or be a CAM, ARM or RAM credential holder in good standing with 24 months of management experience
  • Successful completion of five modules (40 hours)
  • Passing CAPS exam

Certified Apartment Supplier (CAS)

Suppliers are important liaisons to the multifamily housing industry. This program is designed as an opportunity for suppliers to hear the everyday challenges faced by the apartment manager customer. The CAS program is ideal for new salespeople as well as veterans of the industry.

Earning CAS allows you to network with your peers from other companies, learn about the benefits and activities your local apartment association offers and engage in apartment association meetings and events. The course is an opportunity for suppliers to hear the everyday challenges faced by apartment-manager customers.

You'll learn about:

  • Applicant screening, leasing contracts, and move-ins
  • Rent collection, lease renewal, the move-out process, lease termination, and eviction
  • Property management systems and their functions
  • How community managers create a positive fair housing environment
  • Minimizing risk through inspections, preventative maintenance, safety programs, and documentation
  • Addressing property and environmental hazards and crime
  • Analyzing property financial operations and underperformance
  • Monitoring property performance to achieve an owner's investment goals
  • Maximizing net operating income

CAS Requirements

CAS candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the CAS credential. Candidates must complete the coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.

  • Candidates must work in the apartment industry in a supplier partner role
  • Successful completion of Supplier Success course
  • Successful completion of four modules (18 hours)
  • Passing CAS exam

Independent Rental Owner Professional (IROP)

The Independent Rental Owner Professional (IROP) designation program is offered to the rental owner who manages their personally-held multifamily property or properties. The independent rental owner serves several roles in property management, public relations specialist, administrator, chief financial officer, marketing director and operations manager.

Whether you are a new or experienced independent rental owner, earning your IROP gives you an "insider's view" of professional property ownership and management practices.

You'll learn about:

  • Key elements of successful rental unit ownership
  • Preparing and managing a budget
  • Planning taxes strategically
  • Establishing relationships with code department representatives
  • Protecting and insuring your investment
  • Increasing your property's energy efficiency to increase market value
  • Screening, hiring, and training employees
  • Scheduling unit inspections for preventive maintenance
  • Establishing rental rates and marketing to find residents
  • Qualifying residents and complying with fair housing laws
  • Considering the important elements of an enforceable lease
  • Owner liability, rent collection, security deposits, and eviction
  • Developing turnkey rental unit preparation and resident move-in processes
  • Showing the rental unit and qualifying and screening prospective residents
  • Managing resident retention and terminating leases

The IROP Includes:

  • Media relations
  • Personal safety
  • Emergency response and disaster planning
  • Human resource management
  • Physical versus economic occupancy
  • Alternative income opportunities
  • Scheduling move-ins/outs
  • Lease terminations (military and domestic violence situations)
  • Key control
  • Resident and neighbor relations

IROP Requirements

IROP candidates must complete the following requirements to earn the IROP credential.  Candidates must complete the coursework and exam within 12 months of declaring candidacy.

  • Candidates may own rental property or plan to purchase rental property
  • Successful completion of IROP course (12 hours)
  • Passing IROP exam

Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM)

The Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM) credential is designed by management professionals for management professionals to ensure they have attained the knowledge, experience and competence required to excel in the housing credit property management industry.

There is a direct correlation between this credential program's level of rigor and the level of benefit reported by SHCM credential holders. This program will allow you to demonstrate your experience and expertise in mastering the complex requirements of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program.

You'll learn about:

  • Communicating LIHTC regulations and processes to applicants, residents, owners, auditors, and agency representatives.
  • Unit eligibility and calculating fractions, maximum rent and utility allowances
  • Preparing for physical inspections, mapping a property and maintaining compliance
  • Documenting income limits, developing recertification schedules and processing recertification
  • Reviewing rent limit calculations, monitoring utility allowance revisions and applying the 140% rule
  • Resolving noncompliance and preparing for audits
  • Creating and managing records and retaining files and documentation
  • Accommodating accessibility requests.

The SHCM® is offered in association with the NAA, the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA), and LeadingAge.

Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM) includes:

  • Program Regulations
  • Applicant Eligibility
  • Unit Eligibility
  • Monitoring and Compliance
  • Programs may be taken as standalone seminars or as a complete course to earn the industry designation.

SHCM Requirements

  • Education - successfully accumulate a minimum of 12 hours (actual instruction time) of housing credit specific coursework or training from an approved provider* within two years of sitting for the SHCM exam
  • Examination - successfully pass the SHCM exam
  • Professional Experience - demonstrate a minimum of two years of housing credit management employment experience through an application process
  • SHCM Code of Professional Conduct - commit to a defined code of professional conduct (see below)
    Complete Application - submit your SHCM application along with the $150 application fee.

SHCM certification is valid for one year and must be renewed annually each September. Renewal consists of six hours of housing credit specific coursework or training by an approved provider* per year and $155 renewal fee.

Designate Benefits

Enjoy the following NAAEI designate benefits extended only to current NAAEI credential holders.

  • Receive 5% off already affordable tuition at Western Governors University. Learn more about online, accelerated, affordable and accredited education.
  • Receive 10–25 % off of tuition from Drexel University Online for credential holders and their immediate families. Contact NAAEI for the discount code and more information.
  • Receive robust savings on products and services that you use every day at NAA OPEN DOOR.
  • Use of your credential logo on your stationary, business cards and letterhead and your credential acronym after your name. For access to the logo file please contact NAAEI.
  • One free NAAEI Webinars ($29.99 value for each webinar) - NAAEI will notify you by e-mail with free registration information.
  • A 10% discount on NAAEI Webinars, CAM Online and NALP Online courses.
  • A laminated credential card.
  • Free subscription to units magazine and the weekly apartment industry newsletter, the Industry Insider.
  • Free resources to help you recruit and hire skilled talent: Apartment Industry Skill Standards for Leasing Consultants, Maintenance Technicians, Community Managers and Portfolio Supervisors; National Network Common Employability Skills and Work and Learn.
  • Save $50 on Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM) Webinar Series. View upcoming courses and more information.
  • NAAEI Dell Computer Discount. This discount offers significant savings on many Dell products.
  • Discounts on Craftsman products. Known for performance and value, Craftsman Tools and Equipment are offered to you by Sears Commercial. This program saves you time because your order is delivered to you.
  • You will be included in an online NAAEI Credential Holder Directory. Companies are increasingly checking credential/certificate status with NAAEI before promoting or hiring. 

For more information on national credential programs, visit the NAAEI's official site.