What does a shopping centre manager actually do?
A centre manager runs a retail asset on behalf of its owner. The job covers the centre budget, recovering outgoings from tenants, overseeing cleaning, security and maintenance contractors, safety and emergency planning, the marketing program, and working with the leasing team on tenant mix. You report on income, expenses and vacancy to an asset manager or the owner, and you are the face of the landlord to every retailer in the centre.
The finance side is bigger than most newcomers expect. The Property Council's retail finance course is built around reading P&L reports, rent structures, expense recovery, recoverable versus non-recoverable outgoings, and budgeting and variance analysis. Expect to defend your outgoings budget to tenants each year and to explain any variance against the estimate they were given.
Which retail leasing rules shape the job?
Each state has its own Act, and most of the centre manager's compliance work flows from it. In NSW, the lessor's disclosure statement must reach the tenant at least seven days before the lease is signed, and a tenant is not liable for outgoings that were not disclosed. The landlord also cannot change a centre's core trading hours without written approval from the tenants of a majority of its retail shops.
Marketing levies carry their own rules. In NSW and South Australia, tenant contributions to advertising and promotion that go unspent must be carried forward and used on future centre promotion. In Victoria, a shopping centre landlord must give tenants an audited statement of advertising and promotion spending for each accounting period.
What is the usual career ladder?
There are two common feeders. One is retail: store managers already know trading, staffing and safety, and a Certificate IV in Retail Management or Diploma of Retail Leadership is available through registered training organisations. The other is commercial property: property managers and leasing staff already know leases, arrears and contractors. Many people also start in centre administration or centre marketing roles.
From there the steps are assistant centre manager, centre manager of a smaller neighbourhood or sub-regional centre, then larger centres or a group of centres. Experienced centre managers often move into retail asset management, where the work shifts toward leasing strategy, redevelopment and the value of the asset.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Refer to the Commercial Property Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Retail leasing lawYou need working knowledge of your state's Act: disclosure statements, outgoings estimates and statements, and marketing fund rules. Mistakes can leave the owner unable to recover costs.
- Financial skillsYou will build and defend the centre budget, split outgoings between recoverable and non-recoverable, and explain variances to owners and tenants.
- Relevant experienceMost centre managers come from retail store management, commercial property management, leasing, or centre administration and marketing roles.
- Industry trainingThe Property Council Academy's Retail Property Core covers centre management, marketing, leasing and retail sustainability. The self-paced version runs over six weeks with about six hours of content.
- Retail qualifications (optional)A Certificate IV in Retail Management or Diploma of Retail Leadership suits people coming from the shop floor. Neither is a legal requirement for retail management roles.
- Safety and contractor managementYou oversee contractors, common areas such as malls, car parks and toilets, and emergency procedures for a site open to the public.
State by state
| New South Wales | Retail Leases Act 1994: the lessor's disclosure statement must reach the tenant at least seven days before the lease, and outgoings that were not disclosed cannot be charged. The NSW Small Business Commission's guide says audited outgoings statements are due by 30 September. |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Retail Leases Act 2003: the landlord must give a written outgoings estimate before the lease starts and at least one month before each accounting period, or the tenant does not have to pay. Shopping centre landlords must also give an audited advertising and promotion statement. |
| Queensland | Retail Shop Leases Act 1994: recoverable outgoings exclude land tax, capital expenditure, sinking fund contributions and the lessor's own contributions to centre promotion funds. A retail shopping centre has five or more premises used mainly for retail. |
| South Australia | Retail and Commercial Leases Act 1995: retail shop leases must run at least five years including options, land tax cannot be charged to the tenant, and only half of lease preparation costs can be passed on. Unspent advertising and promotion contributions must be carried forward. |
How to get there
- EntryGet a footholdStart in centre administration, centre marketing, retail store management, or a commercial property management or leasing role.
- Early careerLearn the lease lawGet to know your state's retail leasing Act, disclosure statements, outgoings estimates and marketing fund rules. A course such as Retail Property Core gives you the basics.
- Next stepAssistant centre managerTake on contractors, tenant liaison, outgoings reconciliations and safety duties under a centre manager.
- Mid careerCentre managerRun a smaller centre's budget, marketing plan and operations, and report to the asset manager or owner.
- SeniorLarger centres or portfoliosMove to bigger centres or several sites, or into retail asset management, leasing strategy and redevelopment.
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Questions people ask
Do shopping centre tenants pay for marketing?
Often, yes, through a marketing or promotion levy set out in the lease and the disclosure statement. In NSW and South Australia, money tenants contribute that is not spent must be carried forward and used on future centre promotion. In Victoria the landlord must give tenants an audited statement of advertising and promotion spending.
Can a centre pass land tax on to retail tenants?
It depends on the state. In Queensland, land tax is excluded from the lessor's outgoings, and in South Australia it cannot be charged to a retail shop tenant, although the landlord can take it into account when setting rent. NSW lists land tax as an outgoing that may be included if it is disclosed.
What happens if outgoings were not disclosed or estimated?
In NSW, a retail tenant is not liable for outgoings that were not disclosed in the lessor's disclosure statement. In Victoria, a tenant does not have to pay outgoings if the landlord has not given a written estimate. This is why centre managers take disclosure paperwork seriously.
How much does the Property Council's Retail Property Core course cost?
The self-paced intake running from 1 March to 9 April 2027 is listed at $800 for Property Council members and $1,205 for non-members. It has about six hours of content across five modules, with a quiz at the end of each module.
Can a retail store manager become a shopping centre manager?
Yes, it is a common route. Store managers already handle trading, staff and safety. The gap to close is the landlord side: leases, outgoings recovery, budgets and dealing with an owner. An assistant centre manager role is the usual bridge.
How much do shopping centre managers earn?
Our modelled figure for commercial property management is about $80,700 a year nationally, from about $71,400 in Tasmania to $88,400 in Western Australia. It is based on ABS earnings data, not an official rate for centre managers. Pay for managers of large centres can sit well above it.
Sources
- Property Council Academy: Retail Property Core handbook
- NSW Small Business Commission: Retail Tenancy Guide
- NSW Legislation: Retail Leases Act 1994
- Victorian Small Business Commission: outgoings under a lease
- Queensland Legislation: Retail Shop Leases Act 1994
- SA Small Business Commissioner: Retail and Commercial Leasing Guide
- SA Legislation: Retail and Commercial Leases Act 1995
- Property Council Academy: Retail Property Core (self-paced)
- Property Council Academy: Financial Management in Retail Property
- Jobs and Skills WA: retail manager (general)
