Do I REALLY need a C.A.M. Certificate if?

No, you don't need it. It's nice to have, certainly. However, you're not going to be able to go get your CAM and then walk into a property management company and be a manager. Property management experience will always be the number one thing you must have to become a manager.

I'm not sure if you're in apartment management now, you didn't say. If you are a leasing consultant, the CAM will be too hard for you. If you're an assistant manager, the CAM will enhance what you already know and be a good way of showing that you are serious about your career and care enough to learn more. If you are already a manager, the CAM is nice, but it's not really going to teach you anything new. Most property management companies have a certain way of doing things, and the CAM is simply just background info.

My husband completed his CAM last November. He said the CAM helped him learn more about how other companies do business, plus he learned the ins and outs, but he says there's now way you can take the CAM and then walk onto a property and start running it.

Just my 2 cents :)

It depends on where you are located if you need your CAM license or not. In Florida you have to have one if you are dealing with a property that has over I think 100k budget which is almost all properties. Certain property management companies also require you to have your CAM. In KS and MO you do not have to have one but it certainly does add credibility and increase the stature of the property you can manage. You will need to have some sort of previous experience one way or the other because property management is like no other field and there is nothing like hands on experience. Property management is a wonderful field and well worth the time it takes to get your CAM.