The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy had intended to completely abolish the continuing professional development obligation for property managers and estate agents under Section 34c (2a) of the German Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung – GewO). This measure was part of the Bureaucracy Reduction Act. Following intensive deliberations during the parliamentary process and significant criticism from the property industry, politicians have now decided to withdraw these plans. The BVI Federal Association of Property Managers (BVI Bundesfachverband der Immobilienverwalter e. V.) considers this change of course appropriate and advocates for an expansion of the obligation to ensure legal certainty, quality, and consumer protection.
BVI President Thomas Meier commented that retaining the continuing professional development obligation for property managers is a clear commitment to professional standards in an industry responsible for billions of euros in assets and significantly contributing to the energy transition in the existing building stock. From his perspective, abolition would have been negligent from a consumer policy standpoint. The continuing professional development obligation was introduced in 2018 to establish a nationwide minimum standard regarding quality assurance, legal certainty, and consumer protection. It requires property managers to complete 20 hours of training within three calendar years.
Requirements for a Minimum Standard in Property Management
The BVI considers the retention of this minimum standard to be essential. Meier emphasised that continuing professional development of just under seven hours per year represents a fundamental prerequisite for sound management. Its statutory anchoring creates an incentive to keep industry knowledge up-to-date and, on this basis, to make legally sound decisions for owners' associations. Against this background, the BVI not only welcomes the retention of the continuing professional development obligation but also calls for its expansion.
The demands on the profession have increased significantly in recent years. The management of owners' associations requires comprehensive legal, technical, and business administration knowledge for a continuously growing range of tasks. This extends from renovation projects and fire protection to complex financing issues. In the process, immense assets are managed in trust by managers.
BVI Demands for Increased Qualification
Meier explained that one working day of continuing professional development per year is insufficient for the responsibility of billions in assets, especially as in-house company training can also be credited. To safeguard quality, legal certainty, and consumer protection in property management, the BVI considers a mandatory scope of at least 20 hours per year to be appropriate. The argument that voluntary continuing professional development is sufficient does not convince the association. In many regions, there is a shortage of qualified managers, which reduces the pressure for obligatory training. The reference to the one-off voluntary certification under Section 26a WEG is also insufficient, as this represents a one-off examination before the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and does not replace ongoing qualification.
Meier underlined that it is all the more important for the continuing professional development obligation to remain in place and be expanded as soon as possible. He described it as the “industry's seatbelt,” which should never have been up for discussion. Politicians should therefore re-examine the introduction of a dedicated apprenticeship profession and a mandatory certificate of competence for property managers.
