What Qualifications do I need to become an Estate Agent?
The quick answer to this question is none. You do not need any qualifications in order to become an estate agent which many will be surprised to hear considering the value of the items you are trusted to sell!
Depending if you are looking for a role within an existing estate agency or you are looking to set up on your own, though qualifications are not required, it is highly recommended that training / courses are considered. There are many online and face to face (also Zoom) courses available with variable levels of quality and recognition within the industry – There are also industry bodies that you can align yourselves with in order to give your customers increased trust in you and protection.
Looking for work within an existing Estate Agency
The ideal place to start is with sending a professional CV that would ideally include decent passes in recognised GCSE topics. Further education would also be beneficial as would previous work experience dealing with customers and admin. A warm and confident personality as well as a neat and tidy appearance will help you during any interviews you are offered.
The best place to learn is sometimes at the deep end or at the bottom, taking in every element of the business and working your way up the ladder – There are many estate agencies across the country from one chain to multi-chain and the opportunity to move and improve is plentiful. A passion for property and people would be what many employers will be looking for and depending on the role you are aiming for, a talent for sales with a keen attitude and interpersonal skills will also make you stand out (and make you a success at your job). Lots of head hunting takes place in this sector!
You can enhance your career by applying for the many courses you can take to grow your expertise as well as selecting one from many of the industry coaches / mentors who can help develop you / your career.
Look out for estate agents that offer an intermediate apprenticeship as a junior estate agent.
Looking to set up your own Estate Agency
There are many existing estate agency franchise opportunities where you can purchase a licence to sell as such, all the hard work of setting up and creating a brand is done for you and your designated area will be yours to attack (finding listings and buyers). You will ideally have studied the industry and have a decent knowledge of the business (maybe you will have previously worked in an estate agency).
You can also start up from scratch (I have done this previously) though this is likely to take a good deal of your time and capital in order to get yourself ready to list and sell!
You will be advised to sign up to a recognised regulatory body such as TPO, NAEA, NALS, etc
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