I want a career in Real Estate, where do I Start?

The Real Estate and Property industry in my opinion would have to be one of the most challenging and rewarding when it comes to having a career. The roles on offer and the skills gained along with the earning potential compared to many other industries is incomparable. Real Estate isn’t all about fast cars and fancy suits, there is a lot of hard work that must be put in to reap the rewards but sticking to it. Giving it your all can be one of the most satisfying and rewarding career moves you will ever make.

 
Step 1 – The most important of all is to obtain your Certificate of Registration or Real Estate Licence through a registered training provider. There are multiple options with this and you can work at completing these studies at your own pace whether at home or in a classroom environment.

Step 2 – Once you have lodged your statement of attainment and have your Certificate of Registration or Real Estate Licence in your hot little hands the real fun begins. You will need to prepare a resume and make sure you have professional attire for interviewing. You can find roles through job boards, however I would string suggest engaging with a recruiter who can help you navigate the process.

Step 3 – It’s important to consider that you will likely start your Real Estate career on an award wage. This wage will be reflective of your skill set and age if you are 20 and under. The award is set by Fair Work which means it is the same across the industry no matter where you work, copies of this are available online through Fair Work Australia. You will also likely have to work Saturdays and you will need access to a car and you will need to hold a driver’s licence.

Step 4 – Deciding which path to take. It is important to remember where you start isn’t where you will end, focus on getting your foot in the door and starting at the bottom to learn the ropes. The best roles to look at would be Reception, Leasing or Junior Agent. It’s a common misconception that you have to Start in Property Management to get into sales, this isn’t the case. Skills can be transferable so simply focus on getting a foot in the door with a reputable office and then Start to build your career.

Step 5 – Once you have navigated the industry as an employee you will soon start to feel a pull towards more sales and target based roles like Leasing, Sales, Business Development or more task based roles like Property Management, Administration or Marketing. From here you can start to carve a career path for where you want to be. At this point it’s important to speak with your employer and share what you love about the industry and where you see your career heading so they can accommodate this.

Step 6 – Once you have a firm idea of what path you want your real estate career to take its time to start refining and further developing your skills. This can be done through attending conferences, listening to podcasts, getting a mentor or a buddy to hold you accountable, or by attending training on specific software programs. Each year you will need to complete CPD training to renew your Certificate of Registration or Real Estate Licence but additional training on top of that will continue to see you grow and up skill. 

I want a career in Real Estate, where do I Start?