My career in residential property management (RPM) started at Virginia Tech, where I was working toward my bachelor’s degree in property management with a minor in leadership. Although a relatively small program when compared to the university’s top-ranked engineering degree, the RPM program opened my eyes to an industry that would soon become my passion. Through a healthy curriculum encompassing both classroom and hands-on training, I quickly jumped in and found a major that pushed me to my full potential.
After completing two undergraduate internships with Equity Residential in the Washington metropolitan area and Winn Residential in Boston, I was eager to begin my career and put my education to the test. Immediately after graduation, I was fortunate to secure a position in the competitive RPM industry as an assistant community manager with Camden Property Trust.
While my education and internship experience played a role in launching my career at Camden, it is my passion for two things — people and business — that constantly push me forward. When I started at Virginia Tech, I knew that I wanted to find a career that would challenge me every day. I wanted to work in an industry that would inspire me to be the best version of myself and constantly make me reevaluate and adjust to reach my company’s full potential. RPM does just that, while also allowing me to work with people and impact our customer’s lives, one experience at a time.
Since starting with Camden back in 2011, I have held a number of different positions around the Washington area. I am currently one of three district managers within our Mid-Atlantic region, and I am responsible for overseeing the operations of seven residential communities comprising roughly 2,600 apartment homes. I ensure that our communities are performing at the highest level possible and are consistently upholding our company standards and values.
To better support this goal, I have the opportunity to work very closely with every member of our on-site teams, from the community manager to the maintenance team. It’s an honor to join these teams and work alongside some of the best and brightest in our industry, and it makes for a very humbling experience each and every day. The RPM industry is full of truly remarkable people that show up to work excited to give back and to provide people with a wonderful place to call home. It does not get much better than that!
I signed up to be an RPM Careers ambassador so that I could give back even more. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the incredible group of people around me. Support has been critical to my success and my happiness, and I want to be able to provide that to the future leaders of our industry. We are a very tight group of professionals, and giving back to the industry as a whole is a very important part of the RPM community!
If you know someone who would make a great RPM Careers ambassador, email Sarah Levine at [email protected].