November 21, 2014—The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) has launched four new self-paced, online courses designed to enhance the skill sets of property and asset managers at various experience levels. The highly interactive one- to three-hour courses are outlined below.
“Understanding Leverage and Debt Structure,” targeted to mid-level managers, looks at how to structure and manage debt effectively to help maximize a property’s return on equity. Participants will learn to:
- Understand how a property’s capital structure impacts its overall risk and return
- Explain the impact of leverage on a property’s profitability
- Calculate and compare positive, neutral, and negative leverage
- Determine how to maximize returns using financial leverage
- Identify factors that can assist in getting a loan
- Assess loan options using IREM’s leverage analysis tool
“Developing a Capital Strategy,” targeted to mid- to upper-level managers, is a video-based capital planning course focused on how to identify and prioritize capital improvements. Discounting the future value of an expense can determine how much to reserve each year for a particular improvement and help calculate the payback period on that expense to share with owners. Real-life examples in the course will help participants to:
- Classify capital expenditures
- Analyze the current status of a property
- Prioritize capital improvements
- Develop multi-year capital plans
- Calculate funds to place in reserves for future improvements
“Outstanding Facilitation,” targeted to practitioners at all experience levels, looks at acquiring strong presentation skills for use in business and personal settings. Among course takeaways, participants will learn to:
- Understand the unique characteristics of adult learners
- Examine methods that maximize learning
- Review guidelines, checklists and forms to plan, present, and evaluate knowledge transfer
- Assess effective facilitation techniques
“Working with the Media,” targeted to practitioners at all experience levels, is video-based and examines how the media really works, how to connect with key audiences, and how to win the battle of public opinion. The course will help participants:
- Understand the editorial process and how to establish relationships with local media
- Develop targeted messages to promote their properties
- Learn to communicate like seasoned professionals
- Practice responding to the media after a potentially negative event
Courses are modestly priced at $109 and only $89 for IREM Members. For more information and to register, visit IREM’s Courses Available as Self-Paced Online Web page. Participants completing a course have the option of taking an end-of-course assessment and receiving, if they pass, a verified Certificate of Completion. Those electing to skip the assessment will receive a Statement of Completion.
The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) is an international community of real estate managers dedicated to ethical business practices, maximizing the value of investment real estate, and promoting superior management through education and information sharing. An affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS, IREM serves both the multifamily and commercial sectors and offers several credentials. Founded in 1933, IREM promotes best practices in real estate management, with 19,000 individual and 550 corporate members.
