Estate agent job description

Estate agents facilitate the selling or leasing of properties such as homes or offices.

They act as the “middleman” between buyers and sellers, providing property valuations, marketing of properties, and overseeing the transaction process.

The overall purpose their role is to ensure a good deal for both parties and oversee a smooth transaction process.

Estate agents also have a responsibility to generate consistent fees for their employer, which are charged to clients when a property is let or sold.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the role of estate agent.

 

Guide contents

• Estate agent job description
• How much do estate agents earn?
• What does an estate agent do?
• Requirements, skills and qualifications
• Who employs estate agents?
• Which junior jobs progress to estate agent roles?

 

Estate agent job description

 

How much do estate agents earn?

Estate agents earn an average basic salary of £24,200 – however it is sales role where commission is paid based on performance. With this factored in, well-performing estate agents can earn in excess of £60,000 per year.

 

Estate agent salaries in the UK

• Low: £12,000
• Average: £24,200
• High: £35,000

Source: CV-Library

 

Estate agent earnings will vary depending on;

• Performance – estate agents earn a commission based on a percentage of the revenue they generate for their employers
• Property types – estate agents may be responsible for marketing commercial properties such as offices, or residential properties such as houses or flats, and they may cover properties above or below a certain monetary value. For example, an estate agent may be responsible for residential flat sales up to £250k per property
• Sales or lettings – estate agents will either facilitate the sale or lettings (rental agreements) of properties and this will affect the commission they earn from fees
• General salary factors – such as level of candidate experience, qualifications, whether the employer is an independent agent or a large company with many branches, and location

For example, an established estate agent successfully meeting their targets to sell residential homes worth over £500k each is likely to meet their OTE (On Target Earnings) and earn a higher basic salary and commission than an estate agent struggling to meet their target selling flats worth under £100k each.

Bear in mind that these are average figures taken from job advert samples, and they do not include extra benefits such as bonuses, overtime and non-financial benefits such as healthcare.

 

What does an estate agent do?

Looking at the job description, here are the typical tasks and responsibilities that estate agents will be responsible for;

• Gathering client information – Meeting with buyers and sellers to gather information regarding price range, target area, or desired asking price.
• Locating properties – Sourcing potential properties for sale or letting to expand their branch’s portfolio of properties on offer.
• Marketing properties – Placing adverts in national and local property websites and writing attractive descriptions.
• Matching people to properties – Using client and property info to introduce suitable buyers or tenants to properties that match their criteria.
• Arranging and attending property viewings – Accompanying buyers on property viewings, including answering questions about the property and discussing any key features and potential issues.
• Negotiating prices – Negotiating sale prices and rental agreements on behalf of buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants.
• Branch marketing – Working to expand the estate agency client base include sending out mailers, attending networking events, following up on referrals, and keeping in touch with previous clients who may be interested in selling their home, relocating, or buying another property.
• Meeting targets – Making consistent sales or lease agreements to generate client fees for the employer (e.g. a minimum of 3 sales per month or £100k worth of fees per year).

 

What do estate agents need?

Estate agents need a range of skills, experience, and knowledge to carry out their job effectively.

Exact requirements will depend on whether the estate agent is focusing on sales, lettings, or a specific area of property management, but generally the requirements are:

 

Experience

Junior estate agent roles will usually require the candidate to have had some transferable experience in a customer facing, sales role. Although some large companies will sometimes hire candidates with no prior experience in trainee positions.

Intermediate to senior estate agent roles will usually require candidates to have a successful history of negotiating and closing property sales and/or lettings deals, and if specialising in a particular area of property (such as commercial lettings) a proven history in that area is often required.

 

Estate agent skills

Estate agents need a variety of skills to be able to successfully secure and finalise property sales and lettings, including:

• Communication: Written and verbal communication with clients and colleagues including preparing documents, explaining difficult or complex information, and liaising with clients, conveyancers, and financial professionals
• Customer service: Understanding what each client is looking for in a property, their price range, and ensuring their needs are met throughout the sales and closing process
• Organisation: Working several buyers and sellers at one time, including keeping track of sales processes and appointments
• Motivation: Estate agents must work hard to meet challenging targets and earn commission

And the more industry specific skills include:

• Sales and marketing: Attracting buyers through referrals and advertising, alongside highlighting the benefits of a property while minimising any potential flaws
• Negotiation: Working with clients and other estate agents to set prices and terms and arrive at various agreement during several elements of the sales process
• Property market knowledge: Maintaining an up to date knowledge of the property market, including current trends, home prices etc, and property law

 

Estate agent qualifications

There are no essential qualifications required to embark on a career as an estate agent, however there are a number of recognised professional qualifications that can be of benefit to individuals wanting to move into the role or develop their existing skills.

 

Professional qualifications

Many estate agents choose to complete qualifications through Propertymark Qualifications, who offer industry recognised qualifications in property related subjects, such as:

• Residential letting and property management
• Sale of residential property
• Commercial property
• Property auctioneering
• Residential inventory management
• Residential tenancy deposit

These courses are designed to teach all aspects of property sales and lettings, and are available from Level 2 (for someone just starting out in their career as an estate agent) through to Level 6 (for someone working in a senior estate agent position and looking to expand their knowledge).

 

Degree, foundation degree or HND

Although completing a degree is not essential to begin a career as an estate agent, increasing competition for employment means that completing a degree in a relevant subject could be beneficial. Relevant degree subjects include:

• Business studies
• Civil and structural engineering
• Estate management
• Property development/management
• Surveying
• Urban and land studies

 

What is expected of estate agents?

Typically, an estate agent will be expected to commit the following;

• Full time hours – 35-40 hours per week typically completed between 9am-5:30pm, Monday-Saturday
• Evening and weekend work – most estate agents open during weekends and many also expect some late evening work to meet clients and buyers outside of their normal working hours
• Location – normally based at the employer’s office
• Regular travel – to complete valuations and to show potential buyers/renters around properties
• Full, clean driving license – as travel is a daily part of the role, estate agents are expected to maintain a full, clean driving license
• Target achievement – estate agents will be required to make a minimum amount of sales or lease agreements, to generate consistent revenue for their employer

 

Estate agent benefits

Estate agents tend to receive basic benefits made up of the following:

• Commission – based on a percentage of sales or lettings fees generated
• Bonus – for exceptional sales performance
• Car allowance or company car – to allow for travel between properties and the office
• Pension

 

 

Who employs estate agents?

Estate agents are typically employed by housing builders or by estate agencies.

Housing builders employ estate agents to market the properties that they are building, for example they may work in the show home of a newly built housing estate to secure purchases of the new properties.

Estate agencies are companies who exist solely to market and sell/lease properties for clients, so they are the biggest employer of estate agents. They will often specialise in a particular type od property such as commercial, corporate, or residential.

 

Which junior jobs progress to estate agent roles?

Beginning a career as an estate agent is relatively straightforward. Junior positions where no prior experience is required and full training is given are common, however there are two junior positions that lend themselves well to moving into the role of estate agent.

 

Property administrator

Junior estate agent staff member, responsible for managing administrative tasks including booking property viewings, creating brochures and window cards, answering calls, and dealing with customer enquiries.

Junior sales negotiator

This position lends itself well to that of an estate agent, as the responsibilities include booking valuations, completing property viewings, negotiating low level offers and progressing sales through to completion.

 

Which senior jobs do estate agents progress to?

The property market offers several progression routes for those wanting to move up the estate agent career ladder, such as:

 

Branch manager

It is common for estate agents to move into a branch manager positions. The branch manager manages all staff within that branch, carries out senior-level sales or lettings negotiations, and train junior estate agents.

Partner

The next step after the role of branch manager is often to move into being a partner or director of an estate agency. The partner is responsible for running the estate agency including strategic planning, people management, brand management and sales performance.

 

 

Estate agent job description – conclusion

Working as an estate agent is a varied, fast-paced, client-facing and relationship-focused position, making it ideal for those with a passion for working with people.

The property sector offers great professional and financial opportunities, however professional growth in the industry does go together with delivering results and successfully closing deals.

As there are estate agencies throughout the country job vacancies are common. However, these opportunities tend to fluctuate in line with the housing market and this can be volatile.