A journey rooted in real estate
Rita first dipped her toes into real estate while still in college, working as a realtor and administrative assistant before transitioning into student housing management. While working on her degree in American Culture, she was climbing the ranks from leasing agent to community manager, condominium and homeowners鈥� association (HOA) management, and even attended law school. Her experience as a portfolio manager led to Rita鈥檚 current role at Hirzel Law, a firm specializing in real estate and condominium law.
Marketing meets real estate law
At Hirzel, Rita鈥檚 role bridges the gap between real estate management and legal expertise. 鈥淲e work directly with board members and property managers, providing legal resources and support,鈥� she explains. Her responsibilities span digital marketing, social media management, content creation, and event coordination. Rita also co-hosts a podcast, , covering the key topics impacting condominium and HOA communities today. 鈥淧eople love our blogs and podcasts, and knowing that we鈥檙e making a difference is fulfilling.鈥�
The 乐竞体育赛事直播庐 Foundation鈥檚 role in supporting Rita鈥檚 career
Property managers often begin their careers with ARM (Accredited Residential Manager庐) or ACoM (Accredited Commercial Manager庐) certification, as they may not yet have the experience to qualify for the CPM (Certified Property Manager庐) designation. These certifications give them a professional advantage while they build knowledge and prepare for the next career steps.
Early career and younger professionals may also need some financial help towards achieving 乐竞体育赛事直播 certification. The 乐竞体育赛事直播 Foundation embraces these future leaders with scholarships and grants that support their ambitions. 鈥淔rom day one, the 乐竞体育赛事直播 Foundation has been there,鈥� says Rita. 鈥淚 received a scholarship early on and was able to essentially supplement my courses, get that 75% scholarship and get that ARM certification.鈥�
Soon after earning her ARM, Rita became involved with her local 乐竞体育赛事直播 chapter. With the help of the chapter president at the time, Rita was able to get more scholarship assistance from the Foundation. This momentum led her to becoming more involved; she attended a couple of meetings and started connecting.
鈥淪ome of the people that I've met at the local chapter have been kind of those influences, or those, you know, cheerleaders, that just kind of said, hey, keep going, the ultimate thing that you want to do is get your CPM. And so I said, Okay, why not?鈥� That encouragement catapulted Rita to earn CPM certification.
Advice for aspiring real estate professionals
For those considering a career in real estate management, Rita emphasizes the value of education and networking. 鈥溊志禾逵轮辈� and the 乐竞体育赛事直播 Foundation provide incredible support through scholarships, mentorship, and career development,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e serious about this field, get involved and take advantage of these resources.鈥�
Final thoughts
Rita Khan鈥檚 journey highlights the many paths you can take in real estate management. It鈥檚 not all about leasing, maintenance and operations. In Rita鈥檚 case, she found her professional niche in marketing real estate law. This field offers endless possibilities.
Learn more at聽irem.org.