How to Become a Real Estate Agent in the UK

Interested in real estate? Here's a guide to starting a career as an estate agent.

Do you have a keen eye for property? Are you interested in the real estate industry? Well, a career as an estate agent or a lettings agent might just be for you!

Skip to:

What does an estate agent do?
How to get in to real estate
What qualifications do you need to be a real estate agent?
Starting your own estate agency (and the software you need!)
Free E-book: Setting up an estate agency

Demo Rezi for Start-Up Estate Agents

Free E-Book: The Estate Agents Guide

There are many routes to becoming an estate agent, but there are a few things that you can do to prepare yourself for a long and prosperous career in real estate. Let’s start from the very beginning by covering exactly what you will do as an estate agent and what skills are desirable.

What does an estate agent do?

Before trying to become an estate agent or a letting agent, it’s important to establish a relatively strong knowledge of the UK property industry and what an agent does day to day.

Put simply, an estate agent is responsible for advertising, marketing, selling and negotiating sales of properties. This can include selling new-build homes for a developer, or negotiating the sale of residential properties for private sellers. Letting agents will also manage rental properties, including landlords, tenants, tenancies, and so on!

A real estate agent typically does the following:

Conducts property viewings
Advises clients (buyers and sellers)
Markets and advertises ‘for sale’ properties both online and on the high street
Negotiates prices for both buyers and sellers
Values properties
Books surveys and assessments
Collects rent and manages rental properties (letting agents)
And more!

The most commonly desired skills for jobs in real estate include communication and customer service, as estate agents are often customer-facing. A general knowledge of the laws surrounding property sales will also come in handy!

So, let’s look at how to become an estate agent!

How do you become a real estate agent in the UK?

There are many routes to becoming an estate agent, and it’s important to note that it is not legally required that agents have any sort of degree or qualifications to become one – so anyone with the desired skills can work their way up in a real estate agency in the UK. It is however recommended that you start the process of getting a career in real estate by developing your skills and potentially qualifications.

Improving real estate-relevant skills

Interpersonal and communication skills are a must-have as an estate agent, as you will be communicating with clients on a daily basis, working face-to-face with them and having frequent telephone and email conversations. Negotiation is also a key skill for estate agents, as you will be required to negotiate prices with sellers and buyers to set up a deal that is suited to all parties involved.

Knowledge of the property industry

As mentioned previously, as someone looking to build a career in real estate, it only makes sense for you to have a relatively strong knowledge of the industry that you’re heading into. How? There are many ways to do so. Read up on the latest news, do some online courses, even start following industry experts on social media. With the information you need being so accessible nowadays on the internet, there’s no reason why you can’t do a lot of your own research prior to getting an estate agent job.

Demo Rezi for Start-Up Estate Agents

What qualifications do you need to be an estate agent?

What do you need to be a real estate agent? Becoming a real estate agent is no mean feat, the same as going into any career, and you will need a number of skills to make a good estate agent. However, that being said, being an estate agent in the UK does not require specific qualifications or licensing. Some companies may require their agents to have achieved certain GCSEs (or equivalent), and some people will become agents with higher education qualifications, it varies significantly.

What degree do you need to be a real estate agent? None, but if you really want to give yourself the edge, you could get a degree in estate and property management. This is by no means required, but in such a competitive industry, it will only benefit you.

There are also certificate courses available for estate agents (essentially estate agent ‘qualifications’) who are looking for specialist training. If you have no experience of working in real estate and no relevant qualifications, this may help improve your CV!

Finding a job in real estate

You then, of course, have to find a job and build experience in the industry!

Having experience in some sort of sales or business role will definitely help you on your way to becoming an estate agent. You could also get started by taking an apprenticeship role at an estate agency company, and then work your way up. This will ensure that you develop the relevant skills and enhance your industry knowledge at the same time.

As mentioned, there are many routes to becoming an estate agent and yours doesn’t have to be the traditional way!

Start your own estate agency

Now that you know how to become a real estate agent in the UK, why not consider the idea of setting up an estate agency? Setting up an estate agency is a big commitment to make, but if you’re up for the challenge, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. Here at Dezrez, we offer estate agent software for agencies big and small – with our packages offering various products and CRM solutions.

As a start-up estate agent, you may be interested in our Rezi Pro Lite software, which offers the perfect CRM solution for startup agents, or even Rezi Pro.

We also offer estate agent training for clients using our software, which help you get the most out of your software, automating daily tasks and allowing you to spend time doing what you do best – selling properties!

For more information on setting up an estate agency with Rezi as your CRM software, be sure to book a demo today – it’s completely free and you’re under no obligation!

Demo Rezi for Start-Up Estate Agents

Free E-book: Setting up an estate agency

In order to help you start an estate agency, we have created a free e-book for all aspiring agency start-ups. Download it free-of-charge right here:

Free E-Book Download

Demo Rezi for Start-Up Estate Agents

We hope you enjoyed our guide on how to become a realtor or real estate agent. If you want to know more about estate agent or property management software, take a look at our other EA resources.

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in the UK

What does an estate agent do?

How do you become a real estate agent in the UK?

What qualifications do you need to be an estate agent?

Finding a job in real estate

Start your own estate agency

Free E-book: Setting up an estate agency

SERVICES

CONTENT

COMPANY INFO

CONTACT

SERVICES

CONTENT

COMPANY INFO

CONTACT

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in the UK

​​What does an estate agent do?

​​How do you become a real estate agent in the UK?

​​What qualifications do you need to be an estate agent?

Finding a job in real estate

​​Start your own estate agency

​​Free E-book: Setting up an estate agency

SERVICES

CONTENT

COMPANY INFO

CONTACT

SERVICES

CONTENT

COMPANY INFO

CONTACT

What does an estate agent do?

How do you become a real estate agent in the UK?

What qualifications do you need to be an estate agent?

Start your own estate agency

Free E-book: Setting up an estate agency