The Demand for Regulation of the Property

I’ve been watching this ‘space’ for the last 18 years and when I started working in the property sector I did not understand why estate agents who assist consumers with the biggest purchase of their lives were not required to have even a minimum entry level qualification. But this also applies to letting agents who manage billions of pounds worth of stock.

We have a list of the primary, secondary legislation that agents need to be aware of and adhere to on behalf of their clients and it currently sits at 297. Clearly no one expects an agent to know each piece of Statute of by heart, but the fundamental principles of key legislation is paramount.

But the property sector does not just revolve around the law and compliance - think about key skills, customer service, customer care, complaints handling, building rapport and relationships, the benefits of NLP in business and so it goes on.

The House of Lords focus on ‘property agents’ but the disciplines within the property sector are varied, require different skill sets and encompass Estate Agents, Letting Agents, Managing Agents, Build to Rent providers, Property Management organisations, et al.

I have mapped out and developed, written, marked, standardised, examined and delivered Level 2, 3 and 4 Qualifications in both residential sales and lettings and one size does not fit all.

All the learners we work WANT to be qualified, it’s a stepping stone in their career progression (yes, being an agent is a profession!) and a way of raising their benchmark, and all of the learners are being supported by their employers who make not only a financial commitment to their employee’s professional development but also a commitment to upholding standards.

We are currently delivering the Level 3 Tech Award in Residential Lettings to 47 learners and supporting 34 through Rightmove’s CELA Qual. Not one single learner thinks the Qualifications are a waste of time, they embrace the work-study balance, they interact, voice opinions, bring with them a huge amount of knowledge and insight and when they pass, they are elated!

Being qualified is not the be all or end all, but these learners have a thirst to cement their knowledge, demonstrate that their expertise and skill holds value not only for their benefit, but for their clients. That can’t be so bad!