Are You Suited to a Property Career?

As there are a lot of different processes involved in the buying and renting of homes, there are lots of different kinds of jobs available from secretarial roles, to surveyor positions to branch management. This also means that it is possible to work up the career ladder or transfer your skills to other parts of the property industry. Although that sounds like there is a job for everybody, when you search property jobs and read the prerequisites, there are various skills and attributes that are required.Like most jobs, some skills can be learnt and developed over time where as some are more like personality traits, such as attention to detail and negotiation skills.One of the most basic skills required is, like most sectors nowadays, computer literacy. As well as having basic Internet, email and typing skills, it helps to be able to pick up computer programs quickly to learn in-house systems. Another basic skill that can be transferred is customer service. When people are dealing with their potential home or looking to rent out a property that they have put a lot of time and money into, they expect to deal with somebody who goes the extra mile for them. When people are dealing with such a major aspect of their life, it is more reassuring to deal with somebody who proves that they are reliable and dedicated to doing a good job. For some people, this comesnaturally and it is a skill that can be learnt and developed in other industries, but this is not the case for everybody.Negotiation skills also do not come easily to everybody and these are necessary for sales-based jobs in the property industry, such as sales managers and consultants and other negotiator jobs. Not all jobs in the industry are sales-driven and require a different set of skill sets. For example, there are administration-based roles that are more suited to people with excellent computer and customer service skills who can also organise and work well in a team but perhaps don't have the sales or industry experience to work in letting agent jobs for example, or any other roles in the industry.


Other roles in the property industry, such as property surveyors, require industry experience and specific training, so you wouldn't be able to slip into it from a completely unrelated previous job. One thing that all jobs in the property industry have in common is that you need to have the drive and determination to work hard and succeed. Some might argue that this is the most important attribute.As well as skills and experience, there are certain stresses and pressures that come with a career in the property industry. For example, people looking for a new home will often want to view properties at weekends or after their working day, so estate agents and letting agents need to be available outside of normal office hours. There is also the pressure of trying to make sales and negotiate the best deals whilst the country is still suffering financially and dealing with rejection. If you have been recently made redundant, just leaving education or simply feel like a change in career path, it may be worthwhile to search property jobs if you have the drive and determination as well as people skills and the ability to thrive under pressure.