Resources to help kick-start your career in real estate

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25 August 2023

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This article was written for EG’s Starting Out in Real Estate guide, click here to view the digital edition >>

With so many opportunities on offer in real estate, the possibilities are plentiful, and so too are the resources.

Whether you’re a student, career changer, parent, carer or educator, here are some of the key organisations, industry bodies and academic institutions.

Professional bodies

Depending on which area of the industry you are interested in, take time to navigate to the websites of the professional bodies that regulate them.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Globally recognised professional body regulating the professional standards of chartered surveyors. Its young professionals network – RICS Matrics – offers support to students, apprentices, trainees and those who are newly qualified (up to 10 years), as they move into the industry.
Royal Town Planning Institute Professional membership body for the planning community, regulating professional and ethical standards. It has a dedicated careers microsite – Planning your world – which details the opportunities available within the sector, as well as information on its main site on how to become a planner.
Royal Institute of British Architects Professional body for architects, those representing an architecture practice and architecture students. It details available routes to qualification.
Chartered Institute of Building Professional body for construction professionals. Its dedicated CIOB Academy contains a wealth of information on professional development.

Resources for educators

Many real estate organisations run outreach programmes, often in collaboration with charity partners.

If your school would benefit from a talk as part of a careers event, reach out to the organisations listed.

RICS Inspire Ambassadors This programme has an ecosystem of experts, influencers and decision-makers supporting it to increase awareness, build engagement and showcase the profession across the natural and built environment. It offers schools outreach as well as resources for students and educators.
Chartered Surveyors Training Trust Runs the My Environment My Future school programme aimed at opening the eyes of young people, their teachers and their parents/carers to the wide range of careers offered by the built environment. It enables teachers to deliver the existing geography GCSE curriculum with enriched, real-world content, supported by young professionals from the industry.
Built environment GCSE, Wales If you’re in Wales, a dedicated built environment GCSE became available in 2021 for adoption into the curriculum, with the first awards made in August 2023.
Property Needs You A collaboration between 12 of the biggest real estate companies, offering online resources and schools outreach.
Career Ready A national social mobility charity that works with schools, employers and volunteers to empower young people and break down barriers in education and employment. It delivers careers-based activities and resources for the classroom, as well as providing internships and work experience.
Other charities and organisations working in collaboration with schools and industry partners include the Academy of Real Assets, the Land Collective, the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, Building People, Reading Real Estate Foundation and the 10,000 Interns Foundation.

Membership organisations

One of the many great things about real estate is the number of membership organisations operating in the field.

Go to their websites to undertake further research – many have tailored next-gen programmes and offerings.

British Property Federation Its BPF Futures network is for young-in-career professionals in England and Scotland with less than 10 years’ experience in the property industry.
Urban Land Institute Global network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use professionals. Its Young Leaders programme is open to all real estate professionals under the age of 35 and provides professionals in the early stages of their career with a forum to network and continue their professional education and development.
Real Estate Balance Industry member body campaigning for diversity and inclusion. Its NextGen committee comprises members who are early in their careers.

Course providers

If you’ve decided real estate is the career for you and that you’d like to pursue an academic qualification at university, there are many institutions offering property courses for you to choose from.

Start your research by looking at UCAS, which details relevant course providers.

Then go to the university websites and look at the courses on offer, and whether they will support your chosen career. Example courses and providers include: