Estate agent : Training

Training takes place on the job and in-house. The National Federation of Property Professionals (NFoPP)  offers a range of technical awards in areas such as the sale of residential property and residential letting and property management. They also offer diplomas in the following:

• residential estate agency;
• residential letting and management;
• commercial property agency.

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)  (now part of NFOPP) also offers relevant professional training, including the Certificate of Practice in Estate Agency, plus a range of short courses in the following areas:

• residential sales;
• letting;
• auctioneering;
• commercial;
• essential business skills.

Some jobs in commercial property will require qualification and membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) .

New employees may also have the opportunity to take NVQ qualifications in estate agency work. Training in Scotland and Northern Ireland tends to be in-house with specialist trainers.

Most new recruits have an in-house induction, which may last one or two weeks, giving them an insight into the running of the business and the legislation attached to estate agency work. You will usually take on clerical duties to begin with, such as photocopying, filing and answering the telephone. With experience, you will have increased customer contact and conduct viewings of properties until it is felt you are ready to handle a sales negotiation yourself.