New Careers on the Horizon

Are you looking for a new career? How about one that offers flexibility and the ability to manage your own workflow? What about one with the potential for huge rewards? Have you ever considered one of the careers available in real estate?

• Why you should consider it

Do you crave independence, an ever-changing, exciting landscape and ways to constantly meet new people? No 2 days are the same and you can directly reap the rewards of your successes. The harder you work, the more you will succeed.

As a real estate sales salesperson, you would be running your own business. Real estate salespeople are self-employed independent contractors and are paid on a commission basis. This means that you, unlike traditional salaried professions, have unlimited earning potential.

Not only that, but you would be working in an area that impacts almost every person at some point in their lives. Think how rewarding that could be.

• Isn’t it too late for me to start a new career?

Many people come to real estate after time in other fields. They often feel bored in stagnant careers or want a new challenge. Skills learned in prior career paths can often be applied to real estate so it is a great new professional path to transition to. Think communication, sales, negotiations, networking, responsiveness, honesty and integrity to name a few.

“After spending many years in the military doing exactly what I was told, exactly the way I was told, it’s incredibly freeing to be my own boss and do things my way.” – William Browning

We see people enter the profession from all walks of life, at all different stages of life. For some it’s their first career choice, often after they’ve finished university. Many people decide they need a mid-career change. These people often see the freedom and flexibility of real estate to be a real advantage in their career and home life.

“Having worked as a PA for many years I’ve found many of the skills have transferred well to working in Real Estate – particularly being pro-active and highly organised.” – Carleen Still

• Are you the right type of person?

The people that we usually see do well are self-motivated, pertinacious and passionate about property. But it’s also important to realise that these are skills that anybody can learn in a company with a supportive team environment backed by world-class training.

Over the years, reality shows, movies, and even The Simpsons, have portrayed real estate salespeople to be unprofessional and dishonest, ready to lie, betray their clients and exaggerate at every turn in order to make money. Fortunately, this is no longer the reality in the industry. Thanks to strict regulating by the REA (Real Estate Authority) the reputation of the industry and its salespeople is becoming more and more well respected. careers

“Our purpose is to promote and protect the interests of consumers buying and selling real estate, and to promote public confidence in the performance of real estate agency work.” REA New Zealand

• How to get qualified

Real estate salespeople in New Zealand must first get a qualification from an approved provider and then be licensed by the Real Estate Authority (REA). Below we will share with you our recommended providers and the costs involved.

When you complete this qualification, you will be eligible to apply for your real estate licence. Once you have your real estate licence you will be able to operate under supervision to comply with the Real Estate Agents Act 2008.

• What does it cost?

Provider	Cost	Details
Open Polytechnic	$1,072.00 inc. GST	Price does not cover course materials or external exam fees. All online.
TAFE	$2,095.00 inc. GST	Price covers tailored support, resits, course materials, weekly evening classes, NZQA certificate. Mostly online.
Unitec	$2,400.00 inc. GST	Price covers admin fees and course materials. Carried out on campus at Mt Albert Campus or North Shore.

Once you are qualified it costs $939.55 (including GST) to apply for a licence. This covers the application fee, operational levy, disciplinary levy and GST.

• Career paths

While most people enter the industry as a salesperson, selling residential, lifestyle/rural or commercial property, there are other careers available. Once you have found your footing in selling and have a sound knowledge of how the business works, you can diversify. Other career options include auctioneering, managerial roles or working as a buyer’s agent.

• Why goodGround

We can help guide you through the qualification process and prepare you for success in this exciting industry. There will be no franchise fees, a non-selling manager to support you, open access to all property listings, a shared database, strong admin support, a business mentor and an in-house lawyer

As an added bonus, you will have access to ‘Ultimate Agency’, an Australasian Real Estate system providing online support and live zoom meetings with agents from New Zealand and Australia.

If we’ve piqued your interest and you would like to discuss your options further or attend our next careers evening, give us a call and we’ll make a time to have a coffee and a chat with you!