The property industry must actively make training and qualifications an integral part of all processes to significantly improve itself and match up to other, more heavily regulated industries, such as law, teaching, medicine and chartered surveying, according to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC).
Inventories are a key area that the AIIC would naturally like to see agents improve knowledge on to help alleviate uncertainty if, for example, something like deposit disputes arise.
Daniel Evans, chair of the AIIC, believes that previously, the property industry has been slower to adapt to change, but the point has now come that those in the industry need to be properly trained.
Evans commented: “Industries such as healthcare are renowned for their high regard for training and qualifications, and this has proven to be successful in improving trust and reputation. Industries that prioritise training allow there to be less room for mistakes or inconsistencies to take place.
“A high-quality training program that provides the trainee with a qualification is invaluable in improving the reputation of the property industry. Certifications that are gained once the training is complete allow people to easily recognise who is fit for the job.”
According to the AIIC, the only way the property industry can move faster to keep up with other industries is through training across the board.
Evans added: “Training shouldn’t be seen as a burden, a nice to have or an after-thought, but an integral feature for property professionals across the board. Training helps improve precision of the service that is provided and knowledge of the people who provide the service. Letting agents, landlords, tenants and the industry as a whole will benefit from inventories that have been conducted by fully trained and qualified professionals.
“Training provides an opportunity to expand knowledge and it makes the cost and time taken a worthwhile investment. Often, training enables people to be more efficient because it results in someone who has a higher skill level.”
Comments (2)
Whilst the property industry has fallen behind other sectors in terms of training and qualifications, there are some strong signs that a shift is happening.
In some ways this is driven from the bottom up, by new starters and existing staff holding employers accountable, demanding progression and support in up-skilling. On the other hand, there is an increasing awareness and pressure on agencies to ensure compliance, but also to attract and retain talent, so many are realising the benefits of investing in staff training.
There is a growing divide in the industry, between those agents that have access to, and agencies who focus on providing, good training – and those that don’t. And we are seeing a clear differentiation between both. Agencies neglecting the importance of knowledgeable, trained staff, are experiencing higher turnover and having to lower fees in order to continue gaining business. On the other hand, employers that are focused on providing quality training for their staff are seeing better staff retention and are able to charge higher fees to reflect the skilled service provided by agents.
In order to be successful, training needs to be accessible and personal, with individual aims and a strong overall strategy. Aims can be based on business goals and driven by a company initiative to improve knowledge or compliance within an agency, or individual goals based on career progression, diversification or qualification.
Training overall is evolving. The system we have seen in the past, with ‘one size fits all’ seminars and workshops is being transformed by the affordability and personalisation of online learning. Flexible, bite-sized training online, opens up the possibility for agents to adapt training to suit their schedules or learning styles and it’s not such a burden on time.
An industry body trying to sell industry training… I never would have guessed!