NURTURING TALENT FOR THE FUTURE

As managing partner of Arnolds Keys, one of my main responsibilities – the key one, if I’m honest – is people, writes Nick Williams.  I frequently speak to people who say that this is one aspect of running a business that they don’t enjoy, but I can honestly say that it is one of my favourite parts of the job. 

The satisfaction of nurturing a talent so that they fulfil their potential, both for themselves as an individual and for us as their employer, never fades.

It is probably fair to say that in times gone by, the property profession has not always enjoyed the best reputation for the way it developed its people.  The image of an unqualified estate agent may be a cliché, but it was at one stage rooted in at least a modicum of truth.

I am pleased to say that the reality is now very far from that: across all areas of the property profession, the focus is now on training people, developing skills, and ensuring that everybody is properly qualified to do the job to the highest standard.

That takes investment in both time and resources, and it’s something we take seriously at Arnolds Keys.  We played a key part in developing the national Propertymark qualifications in residential sales and lettings, working with City College to bring forward a training model and a recognised standard which is now embraced right across the UK.

In commercial property, the standard has long been set by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), although there are other recognised pathways to becoming qualified.

What has changed is how people entering the profession are embarking on those qualifications.  At one stage the traditional route into the profession was to complete an undergraduate degree before finding employment, in which you could progress towards becoming Chartered. 

But now other options such as the degree apprenticeship have opened up, and we are embracing these enthusiastically – because we recognise the importance of good quality people.

So this month we welcome someone on a year’s work placement (as part of his university course), hopefully contributing both to his future and that of the wider profession, by giving a young person a vital opportunity to learn.

We are also welcoming our latest apprentice, straight from school, into the residential side of the business, working once again with City College to ensure they gain both practical experience and recognised qualifications.

That hoary old cliché is well and truly outdated nowadays.  Property is now a profession which values qualifications and recognised standards.  The good news for anyone considering such a career is that there are more routes into it than ever – and as a firm we are committed to ensuring future talented is nurtured and developed.