A career in real estate and becoming an estate agent can provide you with the opportunity to move between buying and selling properties, visit incredible properties across the UK and keep track of the latest property trends. If you always find yourself looking at the most recent property listing, enjoy communicating with customers and have good verbal communication skills, then a career as an estate agent might be for you.
Find out in this guide how you can make that reality by exploring what an estate agent does, what skills you need and how you can qualify as one.
What Does an Estate Agent Do?
In simple terms, estate agents market, let and sell properties. They bring customers to properties when people are looking to buy a new house; they also help customers sell their property when they want to move.
A customer may for example need to sell a property fast and an estate agent can get them on the way to getting their property onto the open market as quickly as possible. Estate agents will also liaise with all necessary parties involved in the transaction of the property concerned.
Some of the other things you might be asked to do on a day to day basis include:
- Valuing properties
- Answering enquiries
- Viewing properties, taking measurements and pictures
- Contact people looking to buy or rent about potentially suitable properties
- Arrange viewing appointments and show clients around properties
- Get feedback on viewings
- Negotiate between buyers and sellers
How to Become an Estate Agent UK
You can climb the ladder when it comes to being an estate agent. Generally, you’ll need to have left school with GCSEs as this will give you an advantage. But, you can apply straight out of school through an estate agent or you could apply for an apprenticeship scheme. The great thing about coming an estate agent is that you don’t need to go and get a degree for it – the role can be trained, on the job, and mostly requires a set of skills which you can see below.
What Skills Do I Need to Become an Estate Agent?
There is definitely a certain skill set that you should have when it comes to becoming an estate agent. Unlike other desk jobs, being an estate agent you will be constantly communicating with both buyers and sellers and this means that you must have great verbal communication skills and must enjoy negotiating and talking to people. You may have to go from trying to sell a house fast, to tying up the sale of an apartment; no two days are the same.
As well as your customer service skills, you will need good sales skills to be able to sell products and services on your own. Attention to detail, patience and the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure are all other skills that you must have or learn in order to become a successful estate agent.
Moreover, being computer literate is one of the most important skills in this day and age with most data input done across computer software rather than by hand.
What Qualifications Do I Need to Become an Estate Agent?
There are a few ways that you can become an estate agent in the UK. You can go through University, an apprenticeship or straight into a job. It is definitely not essential to go to university to become an estate agent but it could help you get your first job in the industry.
Relevant subjects that you might be able to study at university that would help you in your real estate career are subjects such as: business studies; estate management; civil engineering and surveying.
Another way that you can become an estate agent without having to go to university is through an apprenticeship qualification. Many estate agent companies will offer apprenticeships so that you can begin as a junior estate agent and train up to becoming a full estate agent within a couple of years.
If you wanted to go straight into the working world then you might look to take on a different job at an estate agent company so that you could work your way up to becoming an estate agent. Becoming an administrator or a trainee sales negotiator are ways you can get your foot in the door without needing extra training or studying.