The real estate profession has become one of New Zealand's top 10 most popular jobs (*source Careers NZ) for the very first time and it's not hard to see why.
The residential property boom combined with job losses due to the lack of tourists and international students has meant more people are considering careers in real estate.
The real estate sector offers many opportunities, from sales people and property managers to administrators and business owners, and there are plenty of benefits too.
Just ask Bobby Leef, who began his new role in real estate in mid-2021 in the Northland town of Mangonui.
"I have always had a soft spot for real estate and I really enjoy people, so supporting people through making real estate decisions and building a business around this was a really attractive opportunity for me," he says.
While real estate gives him flexibility with his time, in his short tenure he can already see the potential to grow a successful business.
"Hard work, clever marketing, commitment, discipline and drive will certainly result in a very lucrative lifestyle business," he says.
"But be prepared to market and sell yourself because you are the business - you need to come into this with best intentions for your clients and be a top service provider.
What Bobby loves most is pulling deals together, learning and understanding client goals and working with them to achieve them.
"To be part of such a large transaction in someone's life is fulfilling, it's great to see people do well and achieve life milestones, and it's that little more special being part of that."
For anyone considering a career in real estate, it's important to first find out whether it is a good fit.
Real estate professionals require a special set of skills and attributes – they must be over 18, have no criminal convictions, well presented and professional, happy to work long and irregular hours such as on weekends and in the evening, a great networker with strong relationship-building skills, driven and self-motivated, and able to understand financial concepts, market trends, and legislation.
For those with no previous real estate experience, becoming a salesperson is the best way to get a foot in the door.
It's a matter of finding a real estate agency to host them as a learner, which means they can then enrol in the New Zealand Certificate in Real Estate (Salesperson) (Level 4) programme.
After completing the programme requirements, they can then apply for a salesperson's licence from the Real Estate Authority (REA), which will allow them to legally work as a real estate salesperson and sell property within New Zealand.
It will also provide a solid foundation to branch out into other roles – after three years' experience as a salesperson and completing the relevant qualification, they can then apply to be licensed as a branch manager or real estate agent.
That, in turn, opens up more opportunities whereby many real estate salespeople go on to launch their own real estate business.
For those interested in property management, a residential property management programme can take their career in that direction.
Whatever the job choice, the other positive is that consumer confidence in the real estate sector is on the rise.
Recent research reflects that - complaints against real estate agents fell to a 10-year low in 2020, according to the Real Estate Authority (REA).
REA received 288 formal complaints about agents between July 2019 and June 2020, down by 37 per cent on 10 years ago, marking an all-time low.
And that shows the increasing number of buyers and sellers consider agents to be professional, well-regulated, well-monitored and fair.
So for those who possess the necessary attributes and are keen to help vendors and buyers alike realise their future plans and dreams, it's time to take that leap towards an exciting career in real estate.
If you're thinking of a career in real estate, consider joining the LJ Hooker team. For more details visit https://careers.ljhooker.co.nz/
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