Types of jobs in property

Are you eyeing up a career in property? Whether you’ve just finished your studies or you’re one of the many people now considering switching professions, the world of property offers a broad range of potentially rewarding paths. 

Much of it is booming too, with house prices 11% higher in March 2022 than the year previous, and expectations high for various commercial sectors. So where do you come in?

The right role for you will depend on your core skills and areas of interest. Read quick summaries of five popular job options below. 

Property developer

Property developers make a living by building new properties or buying existing ones to sell on for profit. If you’ve got an eye for renovations and a penchant for project management, this role could be right for you.

But while the potential rewards are high, the risks are too. Building costs might rise, or the market could fall. Having comprehensive real estate insurance will help protect your portfolio from disaster.  

Estate agent

As an estate agent, you’ll work with clients and solicitors to market residential and/or commercial properties and negotiate sales and lettings. You could also be responsible for arranging sales of land. 

You’ll help value and market properties based on local trends, with the ultimate aim of securing the best possible price for your client. Have you always been a gifted salesperson?

Property manager

Property managers work for property owners to arrange and manage the daily workings of their flat, building or another group of owned properties. You could take care of setting and collecting rent, responding to maintenance issues and filling empty units.

The main goal is to protect your client’s investment and maintain their passive income, while handling jobs they either can’t or don’t want to manage. You’ll need to be very organised to keep things running smoothly.   

Surveyor

Property surveyors assess properties and advise clients on the viability of a purchase or lease. Could you handle that responsibility?

Building surveyors are experts in structural issues and look for signs of defects and contraventions of building standards. You’ll typically report on these issues with information on how they can be resolved, and how much it will cost to do so. 

You might also value properties for buyers, as well as for divorce, taxation, and lending purposes.

Construction manager 

If you’ve got a background in construction and a passion for motivating a team, then you might just make a great construction manager. 

You’ll need to work closely with architects, surveyors, labourers, and suppliers to manage building projects from start to finish. Above all, your projects will need to be completed to a good standard, on time and within budget.

Could you see yourself settling into any of these roles?