BOMI RPA study guide
BOMI RPA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The RPA® - Real Property Administrator designation is one of five professional designations offered through BOMA/BOMI, the education arm described on bomi.org as "Real Estate's Learning Lab." BOMA/BOMI states that it is dedicated to improving the skills of professionals with property, facilities, and building engineer responsibilities, and that its designations are intended to put "an additional stamp of credibility" on a career - a mark of distinction recognized throughout the commercial real estate industry. The RPA path is aimed at people who administer and manage commercial properties: property administrators, assistant property managers, and property managers who want proven, time-tested curriculum behind their day-to-day responsibilities. The BOMI RPA study guide has 6 sections and about 2,230 words.
01Real Property Administration
Real property administration covers the ownership, legal description, and governance of the asset itself, distinct from day-to-day property management. Candidates must understand title and deed concepts (fee simple, leasehold, easements, encumbrances, liens), how property is legally described (metes and bounds, lot-and-block, government survey), and the documents that record interests: deeds, mortgages, leases, and recorded restrictions.
401 words, about 2 min02Property and Asset Management
Property management executes operations for an owner; asset management sets strategy across a portfolio. Candidates should distinguish the management agreement's scope (services, authority, fees, reporting, termination), the owner's objectives (income, appreciation, risk), and the property manager's fiduciary duty.
313 words, about 2 min03Building Systems and Operations
Candidates must recognize major building systems and their operating implications: HVAC (chillers, boilers, air handlers, VAV boxes, controls), electrical distribution (service entrance, switchgear, panels, emergency generators), plumbing and domestic water, fire protection (sprinklers, alarms, standpipes), elevators, and building automation systems (BAS). Understand preventive maintenance schedules, work-order prioritization, energy benchmarking, and the difference between routine, corrective, and deferred maintenance.
281 words, about 1 min04Financial Management and Accounting
Candidates must read the three core statements - income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement - and understand accrual versus cash accounting, the chart of accounts, and segregation of duties. Know how to build and monitor an operating budget, prepare a variance analysis, and reconcile bank statements and tenant ledgers.
293 words, about 1 min05Leasing
Candidates must know the anatomy of a commercial or residential lease: parties, premises, term, rent and escalations, security deposit, use clause, maintenance and repair obligations, alterations, assignment and subletting, default and remedies, and surrender. Understand lease types - gross, net (single, double, triple), percentage rent, and graduated leases - and how each allocates operating expenses, taxes, and insurance.
334 words, about 2 min06Marketing and Tenant Relations
Candidates should understand the marketing mix for rental property: positioning and target market, pricing and concessions, listing channels, curb appeal and showing readiness, and leasing funnel metrics (inquiries, tours, applications, approvals, move-ins). Tenant relations covers communication standards, service-level response times, complaint escalation, renewal strategy, and retention economics.
608 words, about 3 min