Estate agent: Training

Training takes place on the job and in-house. 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.

Professional qualifications are also available and the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFoPP)  Awarding Body offers a range of relevant qualifications that are available at different levels. This includes the Sale of Residential Property qualification, which is available at technical award, certificate and diploma level. A Scottish version of the qualification is also available. Both have been developed in consultation with the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA)  and so meet the requirements for NAEA membership. The qualifications can be taken through flexible distance learning methods.

The NFoPP also separately offers a range of other courses on topics such as:

• residential letting and property management (separate specific courses are available for Scotland and Northern Ireland);
• commercial property agency;
• real property auctioneering;
• chattels auctioneering.

The NAEA also has a wide range of short training courses that run across the UK. The training can include areas such as:

• conveyancing practice and procedure;
• effective selling skills;
• effective leadership skills;
• developing your management potential;
• commercial property;
• professional inventory.

The NAEA encourages continuing professional development (CPD) and a full one-day course equals seven hours of CPD, while a half-day course equals three and a half hours of CPD.

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