I’ve worked in property and real estate my whole life. My family have a business in property and it’s a couple generations old, which means it’s always something I’ve been interested in. When I was growing up I worked on reception every Saturday after coming home from Boarding school. I worked from 9.30 – 1pm and got £20 each week.
In a family business you help whenever you’re needed. Over the summers and on my school holidays I’d clean rented homes for new tenants. I also had a habit of hopping on my bike and cycling up to show houses, I got my first sale at 12 years of age.
I learnt to get on well with people and how to develop business from a young age, invaluable skills if you want a successful career in property.
In my house we’re always talking about business and closing deals and what angle is best to get the deal over the line. From an early age my siblings and I were all shown how to be entrepreneurial and this has really stuck – as well as being a full-time recruiter I’m also the Pilates instructor in Cpl.
In Ireland, for the first time in a while there is a shortage of housing and a shortage of top talent in the property market. As a result, in the real estate sector there is a shortage of skills, a problem we haven’t faced in over a decade! So, if you’re entrepreneurial, love meeting people and have a passion for closing deals it’s a great time to get involved in property as an auctioneer or property sales negotiator.
Becoming a PSRA Licenced Property Negotiator:
If you’d like to work in property qualifying as a Property Sales Negotiator, also known as an Auctioneer or Real Estate Agent, is the best thing to do. A sales negotiator is responsible for promoting and selling houses and commercial property – depending on what area you are involved in.
These are the most widely recognised courses:
- Residential Negotiator: Property or Real Estate course you will gain eligibility to become a PSRA (Property Services Regulatory Authority) Licenced Negotiator. http://www.psr.ie/ and https://www.ipav.ie/education/courses
- Commercial Negotiator: Honours degree in Real Estate and 2 years to become a Chartered Surveyor https://www.scsi.ie/education/home
These are the basic requirements you need to qualify, however, there are many other important skills you need to have to be successful in property.
Would a career in property suit me?
- Are you passionate about selling?
This industry is rewarding but it can be tough; sales falling through and clients changing their minds at the last minute to name a few. You need to have a passion for sales to be able to pick yourself back up and keep going. Resilience is key, but you need to be sure that you have a passion to sell as this is what you will be doing most days.
- Are you a ‘Hunter’?
If you do have a passion for sales, it is likely that you are a Hunter and will enjoy seeking out new opportunities, clients and buyers. To be successful in property, you need to be constantly hunting for new business, constantly looking for the next opportunity or client. You must be relentless.
- Can you build a network?
Buying and selling property should never just be a transactional sale. You need to be good at building relationships, so you can build trust with your clients and provide them with an excellent service, which will in turn lead to more sales for you.
By joining all networks and extra activities (networking events, football clubs, GAA clubs, involved in all local activities) you’ll become known and synonymous within the property market.
- Can you close a deal?
Are you self-motivated, confident in your abilities and can you remain calm under pressure? In this role, you are the middle man in between the buyer and the seller, you need to keep both parties happy as much as possible. It can be hard to close a deal as there are always external factors that are out of your control, so being a people person is important and will help you close a deal.
- Do you have great attention to detail?
Do you get a kick out of crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s? Like most jobs, there’s a lot of paperwork that goes along with every sale so having strong attention to detail is key.
- Performance based bonuses
If you like to work hard and get rewarded for your efforts, this is a fantastic industry to get into. The performance related bonus is a great motivator for those ‘go-getters’ who are striving for success. Like most sales jobs there’s no better feeling than finding the perfect person or persons for the right client and vice versa.
- Do you like being out and about?
In this industry, it’s rare that you will spend a day behind a computer screen, you will be out and about meeting clients, viewing properties and networking – the days absolutely fly and you get to meet some really great people.
I’ve worked in the property industry my whole life, it’s something I love and is what led me to Cpl where I started the property recruitment division. Working in property as a Property Sales Negotiator can be incredibly rewarding and exciting. If you think you might share my passion and are looking to enter the property industry or switch from your current property job I’d love to talk.