How to Start a Property Management Company in Georgia: GREC License, Trust Accounts and CAM Path

If you plan to collect rent, hold tenant security deposits, or run a homeowners association for other people, you need to understand the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) before you sign your first management agreement. This guide covers the license path, the trust account rules, the community association manager (CAM) route, and the business setup that follows. It is written for someone starting from scratch.

This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Licensing rules, fees and deadlines change. Confirm every figure with the agency named before you act, and talk with a Georgia real estate attorney or CPA about your specific structure.

Do Property Managers Need a Real Estate License in Georgia?

Yes, in most cases. In Georgia, managing another person's rental property for a fee is real estate brokerage activity regulated under O.C.G.A. Title 43, chapter 40. A property manager therefore needs a real estate broker license, or works as a licensed salesperson under a sponsoring broker. Confirm the current definition of this activity with GREC before you finalize your business model, because the exact scope of brokerage can affect how you structure your services.

You have two main routes. You can earn a broker license yourself, or you can earn a salesperson license and work under a broker. For the full license path, see our guide to starting a real estate business in Georgia.

Who Is Exempt From the Licensing Law

O.C.G.A. 43-40-29 exempts several groups from licensing. For property management, four categories matter most:

• An owner who manages their own property.
• The owner's regular employees.
• A person employed full time by the owner for property management.
• The owner of a management company whose principals hold controlling ownership of the property.

The exemption does not cover a company that manages property for outside owners. If you take on a client who owns the building and is not one of your principals, you need a license. Whether an on site resident manager falls within an exemption is not settled here, so check with GREC before you hire one.

What You Need Before You Start

• Proof of age and a high school diploma or equivalent.
• A completion certificate for the prelicense course that matches your license type: 75 hours for a salesperson, 60 hours for a broker, or 25 hours for a CAM.
• A criminal history report from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) to bring to the testing center.
• The PSI exam fee of $175 and the license fee of $170, which covers the first four years.
• A sponsoring broker, if you plan to hold a salesperson or CAM license.
• A written list of prospective owner clients, a draft fee structure, and a draft management agreement.
• Articles of Organization ($110 total) for an LLC, or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation.
• Insurance quotes for errors and omissions (E and O) coverage and general liability.
• A business bank account and a federally insured trust or escrow account for client funds.

Step 1: Choose the License That Matches Your Services

Start by deciding what you will actually do. The three paths are different, and choosing the wrong one costs time and money.

A salesperson works under a broker and can manage rentals for outside owners within that broker's supervision. A broker can run the company, sponsor salespeople, and hold the trust account responsibilities as the licensee of record. A CAM license covers managing homeowner and condominium associations. A CAM license is an association role, not a license to manage individual rentals. If your business is mainly single-family or small multifamily rentals, plan on a broker or a salesperson under a broker.

Step 2: Complete the Prelicense Education

A salesperson must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete a 75-hour GREC-approved prelicense course.

A broker must be at least 21, complete a 60-hour broker prelicense course, and have been actively licensed for three of the previous five years. Check with GREC for how that active licensure is documented before you plan around it.

Pick a course provider approved by GREC and confirm the schedule against the exam windows. Keep your completion certificate. You will need it when you apply.

Step 3: Pass the PSI Exam and Get Your GCIC Report

After your prelicense course, you take the state licensing exam administered through PSI, with an exam fee of $175. You also need a criminal history report from the Georgia Crime Information Center. Bring that report with you to the testing center. Plan for the license fee of $170, which covers the first four years of licensure.

Study with practice exams, not just course notes. Many first-time candidates underestimate the state-specific portions of the test.

Step 4: Activate Your License and Calendar Your Deadlines

A salesperson must complete a 25-hour post-license course during the first year. If the course is not finished in that year, the license lapses. Put that deadline on your calendar the day your license is issued.

Continuing education is 36 hours per four-year cycle. Starting July 1, 2025, brokers have broker-specific hours inside that total. Check with GREC for the current count and which courses qualify.

Step 5: Follow the CAM Path for Association Management

If you want to manage homeowner or condominium associations, the CAM license is the route. Requirements from GREC include:

• Age 18. An applicant may take the exam at 17.
• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• A 25-hour CAM prelicense course, or approved college coursework.
• The PSI exam, with a fee of $175.
• A criminal history report.
• A license fee of $170, covering the first four years.

There is no experience requirement for the CAM license. A CAM must also activate the license with a sponsoring broker. Remember that a CAM license does not authorize you to manage individual rental units for owners. If you want both association and rental work, you will need the broker or salesperson license in addition.

Step 6: Set Up the Trust Account Correctly

A broker who holds tenant security deposits and rent on behalf of owners must keep those funds in a federally insured trust or escrow account registered with the Commission. The governing authority is Rule 520-1-.08 and O.C.G.A. 43-40-20.

Two obligations follow right away. First, you must notify GREC of the financial institution and the account name or number within one month of opening the account. Second, you must keep an accounting that records, for each deposit, the parties involved, the amount and date, and the property. The accounting must also show every check drawn on the account.

Keep the trust account separate from your operating account, and do not use client funds to pay your own bills. Check with GREC for any handling detail beyond these basics before you process your first deposit.

Step 7: Form the Business Entity

Most property management companies organize as an LLC. Articles of Organization cost $110 total, which is the $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge. You can file online or on paper through the Georgia Secretary of State eCorp portal at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days, and paper filings take about 15 business days.

If you need the company name faster, expedited review costs $120 for 2 business days, $275 for same-day review if received by noon, or $1,200 for one-hour review on business days. An LLC name must include a designator such as LLC and must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records. You can reserve a name for 30 days for $35.

Georgia requires every entity to keep a registered agent at a registered office with a Georgia street address. A P.O. box does not qualify. For an LLC, the agent must be an individual Georgia resident or a corporation authorized to do business in Georgia. An entity cannot serve as its own registered agent.

Once formed, the LLC files an annual registration with the Secretary of State. The fee is $60, which is $50 plus a $10 service charge. The filing window runs January 1 to April 1 each year, and a new LLC files its first annual registration the year after it forms. Check with the Secretary of State at sos.ga.gov/corporations-division for the current window and late penalty. Missing the filing can lead to administrative dissolution, and reinstatement costs about $260.

Step 8: Register for Taxes and Pick Up Your Local Certificate

Georgia does not issue a general statewide business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and a sales tax registration with the Department of Revenue is not a business license. You will register with the Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center if you sell taxable goods or have employees. For tax details, read our guide to Georgia business taxes.

The local license is an occupation tax certificate, often called a business license. Cities issue it inside city limits, and counties issue it for unincorporated areas under O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13. A business inside a city pays the city, not the county. Each of Georgia's 159 counties and about 537 cities sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites, so confirm the exact requirements with the issuing office before you apply. Private employers with more than 10 employees must file an E-Verify affidavit to get the certificate under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6.

Step 9: Build Your Management Agreement and Insurance Program

Every owner relationship should start with a written management agreement. It should spell out the scope of services, the owner's authority, how trust funds are handled, how fees are paid, and how either party can end the relationship. Describe your fee structure clearly in the agreement, but this guide does not set dollar figures for fees, since your market and services drive that decision. Have an attorney review the agreement before you use it with your first client.

Carry errors and omissions (E and O) coverage and general liability insurance from the start. Workers' compensation is required once you have three or more workers, and part-time workers count toward that number. Plan for it before your payroll reaches that size.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Collecting rent before your license is active or before the trust account is opened and registered.
• Relying on an exemption while managing property for outside owners. The exemption applies to owners and their employees, not to a company managing for clients.
• Treating a CAM license as a rental license. A CAM manages associations, not individual rental units.
• Missing the 25-hour post-license course in your first year, which can cause the salesperson license to lapse.
• Forgetting the one-month notice to GREC after opening the trust account.
• Looking for a statewide business license. The real local requirement comes from your city or county.
• Assuming the county issues the certificate for a business inside a city. The city issues it in that case.
• Missing the annual registration window of January 1 to April 1.
• Hiring part-time help without planning for workers' compensation once you reach three workers.

What Results to Expect

A business that follows this sequence can often move from first study to an active license in several months, though the timing depends on course schedules, exam availability and how quickly the Secretary of State and your local office process your filings. Online entity filings may clear in roughly 7 to 10 business days, which can help you plan your launch date.

Licensing alone does not guarantee clients or income. Your results will likely depend on your local market, your experience, your owner relationships and how well you run the trust accounting from day one. Treat the license as the starting point for a compliant business, not a promise of growth.

Topics This Guide Does Not Cover

Tenant law, fair housing and eviction are separate topics. Each has its own rules, and each deserves a dedicated review before you handle a tenant issue. This article covers the licensing, trust account and business setup steps only.

Next Steps

Start with the license decision in Step 1, then book your prelicense course and open your entity name reservation if you have a name in mind. Confirm each fee and deadline with GREC, the Secretary of State, and your city or county before you commit money. For complex structures, multiple owners or association work, consult a Georgia attorney or CPA.

Reminder: this is informational content, not legal or tax advice.