The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and BOMI International, the Independent Institute for Property and Facility Management Education, will create a new “early-career” certification for commercial property managers and partner together to produce and market online education for the commercial real estate industry.
The two organizations formed an independent certification institute to develop and administer a certification exam for early career commercial property managers and entered into a separate partnership to jointly develop industry education to support the certification and other industry training needs. The certification and the first product offering under the new partnership will launch this summer.
According to BOMI Chair Howard Arndt, RPA, president & CEO of Fieldstone Management, “Over the past couple of years, BOMA and BOMI completed extensive research and industry outreach that confirm the need for early-career certification and timely, topical education. Our two new initiatives establish skill-competency standards that represent the voice and needs of the property management profession while supporting a coordinated business model for developing and delivering industry education.”
BOMA International Chair and Chief Elected Officer Brian Cappelli, BOMA Fellow, RPA, vice president of Asset Management for GBX Group LLC., reports that the BOMA and BOMI boards have enthusiastically endorsed these initiatives and have committed financial and other resources to support the work, including an online learning platform.
“This is a top priority for both organizations,” Cappelli said.
The certification exam addresses key knowledge, skills, and abilities based on a competency model for property managers recently completed by BOMA and BOMI. The certification institute’s Board of Managers will oversee the certification program and is finalizing exam eligibility and other requirements. The online exam will be offered at testing centers throughout the U.S. and internationally.
The second initiative, BOMA and BOMI’s education partnership, builds on a strong history of providing timely, high-quality education to commercial real estate professionals–through BOMI’s renowned designations and certificate programs and BOMA’s indispensable topical education on important industry issues and trends. Scheduled to be released this summer, the first program under the new partnership will prepare candidates for the new property management certification. Four additional learning products will follow over the next four to five years to support industry training needs and demands.
Courses will be delivered online through a career portal and learning platform, jointly supported by BOMA and BOMI. The two organizations will continue to produce and offer other education independently, including BOMI’s suite of designation and certificate programs and BOMA’s conferences and webinars, while taking advantages of opportunities to cooperate where it makes sense.
“We see this collaboration as a critical move for BOMA and BOMI as we respond strategically to changes in market demand for lifelong learning,” Cappelli said.
Arndt and Cappelli agree the new initiatives between the two organizations will result in greater efficiency in their operations, ensure competitive pricing and greatly improve speed-to-market, while enhancing the learner experience through online education.
