Nearly half of estate agents and a third of letting professionals do not believe they need qualifications despite organisations like Propertymark training thousands of agents (pictured) every year, a poll has revealed.

Sally Asling, Associate Recruitment Consultant, Rayner Personnel

The research by leading recruiter Sally Asling of Rayner Personnel also revealed that most property professionals believe having a Level Three Estate Agent Diploma will not help get them a higher salary.

Degree course

The poll comes at a time when Labour wants all estate agents to have at least one A level, and for all agency owners to have completed degree-level qualifications.

Also, an estate agency degree course has been launched by Royal Agricultural University, which is now recruiting for the course’s first intake in September this year.

Massive supporter

Asling says: “I am a massive supporter of bringing qualification and licensing to our industry and if we can be seen to raise standards within the industry, we can then defend our fee”.

Asling, who says she was not suprised by the results, ran her poll on LinkedIn to see what sales and lettings professionals’ thoughts were on qualification.

Given its results, she has called on industry organisations like Propertymark to do more to attract people into estate agency.

“This industry has a lot of work to do when 44% of its workers view they are ne without the qualification and / or have no desire to achieve qualification,” Asling adds.

Poll results

Lettings

• 34% with a L3 qualification are getting better pay
• 28% have a L3 qualification but do not believe it’s made any difference to pay
• 3% would like to do the qualification if their company would fund and support them
• 34% claim they are doing fine without the qualification

Sales

• 17% with the L3 qualification are getting better pay
• 47% do not believe the qualification is important or recognised in the industry
• 28% would work towards qualification if their company funded it
• 8% have no desire to undertake a qualification

Asling proposes a grading system for property professionals:

Grade 1: Trainee Negotiator. (no qualification).

Grade 2: Negotiator ARLA / NAEA (Qualified)

Grade 3: Senior Negotiator (Qualified and with 2+ years’ experience)

Grade 4: Assistant Manager

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