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Arden Careers Evening
Estate agents market and sell properties for clients/vendors. As an estate agent you would negotiate
between buyers and sellers. You would use your knowledge of the local property market to get the best
price for the seller. If you are interested in the property market and you enjoy meeting different people
this job could be perfect for you.
Estate agent requirements
Personality, skills and experience are as important as academic achievement and many people in the job
are not graduates. Employers are usually more interested in your skills and experience than your formal
qualifications. You can enter the profession at an administrator level and then progress to an estate agent
with experience. Although experience is not essential, a sales, administrative or customer service
background is very useful as well as good communication skills. You may also be able to start in this job
through a property services apprenticeship.
The following personal qualities and skills are required:
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A confident and outgoing manner
Excellent spoken and written communication skills
Good organisational and time-keeping
Customer service
Determination, perseverance and patience
The ability to deal with people from all backgrounds
IT skills
An understanding of marketing techniques
Skills in negotiation and persuasion
Commercial awareness and the ability to achieve sales targets
While a degree is not an essential entry requirement, increasing competition for employment means that
taking a degree, foundation degree of HND in one of the following subjects may give you an advantage:
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Surveying
Property development/management
Estate management
Urban and land studies
Business related studies
Civil and structural engineering
Work activities
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Viewing properties and taking photographs and measurements
Advising clients about the buying and selling process
Booking surveys and valuing properties
Marketing and advertising properties for rent or sale online and through social media
Showing potential buyers around properties
Negotiating a acceptable price between the buyer and seller
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Arranging conveyancing (legal sale and purchase documents)
Carrying out energy performance assessments
Managing rented properties and collecting rent
Income
You would usually earn a basic salary plus extra commission based on a percentage of sales.
Starting salaries for trainees can be around £12,000 to £16,000 a year basic, plus commission.
With experience and management duties, this can rise to between £20,000 and £35,000 a year basic
salary plus commission. Figures are intended as a guideline only.
In a full time job role you would normally work around 35 to 40 hours a week between Monday to
Saturday, part time work is also often available.
Training and development
You would normally start as a trainee and learn on the job from experience staff. You may also have the
chance to gain industry-recognised qualifications such as National Federation of Property Professionals
(NFoPP), National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS),
Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and City and Guilds Advanced Levels.
More information
National Federation of Property Professional
Tel: 08452 506 008
www.nfopp.co.uk
National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)
www.naea.co.uk
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Tel: 0207 334 3875
www.rics.org/uk
Opportunities
Job prospects for estate agents will depend on the state of the property market which can vary from
region to region.
Jobs may be advertised in the local press, on employers’ own websites, by specialist recruitment agencies
and in trade magazines like Estate Agency News and The Negotiator
With experience and a good track record of sales, you could be promoted from sales negotiator to senior
negotiator and manager. The large chains of estate agents may offer more opportunities for promotion.
You could also become self-employed as a partner in a firm, or set up your own agency.