Real estate

A real estate degree prepares you for work in property and provides you with communication, commerce and business skills that are valued by a range of employers

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Commercial/residential surveyor
• Construction manager
• Estates manager
• Land/geomatics surveyor
• Planning and development surveyor
• Quantity surveyor
• Rural practice surveyor

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Building control surveyor
• Building surveyor
• Chartered loss adjuster
• Estate agent
• Facilities manager
• Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
• Housing manager/officer
• Mortgage adviser

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

It's important to gain some relevant property-related experience to complement your degree. There are lots of ways you can do this, including completing a year out in industry or a summer placement. Look for opportunities arising within real estate agencies and in the buildings and estate divisions of universities.

Many property employers place a strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities that demonstrate teamworking and leadership skills. You can develop these skills through sporting activities or by participating in clubs and societies run by your university or students' union.

If you're not able to find a work experience opportunity you could consider doing some voluntary work instead. For example, getting involved in sales or promotion work or any type of customer service for an organisation would be useful.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

The property sector is quite varied and you can work in different areas, including:

• real estate sales – working as an estate agent, managing and selling real estate and advising on market conditions and property feasibility studies
• property valuation
• property asset management
• property development
• property researcher
• property financier.

Employment opportunities are available in property across the commercial, residential, private and public sectors, and in a range of activities including domestic, commercial and industrial projects. Employers can range from major international firms to small professional practices.

Typical employers include:

• global firms of property consultants with interests in building surveying, corporate property, investment, planning, development and residential work
• property investment or development companies
• real estate departments of financial institutions
• central government and executive agencies such as the Valuation Office Agency
• local authorities
• housebuilders and housing associations
• charitable trusts and heritage organisations
• utility companies.

Self-employment is also a possibility once you've gained experience.

Find information on employers in property and construction, environment and agriculture, business, consulting and management and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying real estate means you learn all aspects of property, from planning law to bricks and mortar. You'll study the built environment, covering areas such as the acquisition, development, management, disposal and valuation of land and buildings. Courses focus on the financial, legal, management and technological issues relating to property as well as issues such as sustainability.

Practically, it tends to be taught by a combination of lectures and site visits in addition to real-life projects and case studies.

A degree in this subject helps you to develop a range of skills sought by employers in the property sector and beyond, including:

• the ability to manage and analyse complex data
• effective communication (written, oral, visual and numerical)
• collaboration and team leadership
• business planning and project management
• negotiation
• client care
• time management and the ability to work independently
• presentation
• the use of information technology
• the ability to apply theory to practice.

Further study

Some graduates choose to specialise in a particular area of real estate and opt to study at postgraduate level. Courses include property development, property investment, surveying, real estate management, environmental conservation within the heritage sector, planning and environment, and town and country planning.

Other further study options include postgraduate studies in banking or finance to enhance knowledge of a different career area. It's also possible to undertake further vocational training, for example in law or landscape architecture.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search for postgraduate courses in real estate.

What do real estate graduates do?

40% of land and property management graduates in employment in the UK are working as architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals. Sales, marketing and related associate professionals (24%) and managers and proprietors in other services (12%) are also among the top five jobs held by graduates.

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.