The head of not-for-profit accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents Safeagent says estate agents do not need degrees to perform their roles. But they do need professional development, and the correct approach to succeed in this industry.
Isobel Thomson’s comments are in support of Baroness Fox of Buckley who recently said that estate agents’ degrees are not necessary. She made the remarks about university estate agency degree courses during a Lords debate, after it was announced that the UK’s first ever residential estate agency degree course is to launch this September.
The new degree, which is to be offered by the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), offers would-be estate agents the chance to obtain a foundation degree to help them develop the skills and attributes they need to succeed in the industry.
The course will cover property valuations, marketing, law and professional sales practice, as well as more ‘hands on’ modules such as surveying, inspecting and measurement.
Thomson said: “Agents do not need degrees to perform their roles. They do need professional development, of course, with recognised industry qualifications so that consumers can be reassured they are receiving a certain level of service.
“We feel strongly that agency is a people business requiring strong interpersonal skills, local community knowledge and professional competency. A combination of these is what makes a good agent, not whether they studied three years for a degree at university.”
It was recently proposed by Labour that estate agents would have to go back to school and achieve minimum level of qualifications as part of its plans to drive cowboy operators out of the housing market.
Labour’s shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook tabled an amendment in January to incoming housing reforms which would require all estate agents to have at least one A-level and all directors of estate agencies to have an undergraduate degree.
Although the proposed changed have failed to gain support from the majority of MPs In the House of Commons, it does offer an early indication of Labour’s position when it comes to improving standards in the estate agency sector.
Propertymark has long been calling for “a properly regulated industry” where agents can be “trusted and respected” by consumers.
Similar rules are already in place in Scotland, while more stringent requirements are in place for estate agents in many other countries.
The “degree” alluded to in the Pennycook amendment references Lord Best’s recommendation that estate agents and letting agents achieve a Level 3, equivalent to an A-level, and senior figures a Level 4, which is the first year of a degree. So, not a degree. Not close to a degree. And not unreasonable. Can we not set hares running? Any senior/experienced agent should be able to ace a Level 4 and if they can’t, you’ve got to wonder. Also, the “I’ve been doing this for 30 years” doesn’t stack. Just because you’ve been doing it a long time, doesn’t automatically mean you’re good, and up to date.
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Yes it does, anyone in any service industry where referral, recommendation and reputation decide one’s income and fortune it’s fairly safe to say people who are still in business are doing something right, something more right than their competition.
I once had an agent customer who had 7 distinct sets of letters after their name, they were qualified beyond any academic I knew- they spent more time on the phone to support being completely wrong about everything than any other customer we had.
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Well said, Robert.
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My two points,
1. “Just because you’ve been doing it a long time doesn’t mean you’re good or up to date”. Pushing back saying you ‘once’ knew an educated idiot doesn’t invalidate the reality that there are also long served agents who aren’t up to date. I can think of several and doubtless you can too.
Let’s flip it. Having a qualification doesn’t guarantee they’re good. Agreed. But it’s a good start, given agency is a lot more complex today than it used to be.
2. And then to my main point. The media story of a degree being required is misleading. It’s not a degree. It’s not close to a degree.
My view is a level 3 is hardly a mountain to climb to set a minimum competency standard in an industry where some are not competent and give the sector a bad name. A level 4 for a business leader? Ditto.
If they are introduced it will be for new entrants. Is that a problem?
Grandfathering in experienced and good agents based on time served lets the bad ‘uns in with the good ‘uns. Good with that? Maybe you are. It’s a discussion. But surely any good agent would eat these quals, and be pleased to get the chaff out the sector.
The question is, really, should the sector have some benchmarking of minimum competence standard, or not? Whatever your answer may be, what would the average consumer expect?
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Totally agree and I posted similar on the original article. Whether it is a formal qualification or recognised CPD, the need to keep up with legislation and market conditions is key. Just because the owner of a business has done it for years doesn’t necessarily mean He/she has a team that are competent. Often small agencies are too busy and business owners unable to spend time training. Yes anyone with good knowledge should find it straightforward to pass but I can absolutely say that in most cases, you don’t know what you don’t know so a benchmark syllabus would be a key minimum.
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I’m not an agent – but how about a professional membership accreditation with annual refresher training to keep up to date. It could be an online assessment test you had to pass to remain a member.
It wouldn’t be the lack of a degree or qualification that would worry me – It would be not being up to date with legislation changes or the latest trends in scamming!
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when will I see you again, Theres 3 degrees just there 🙂
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