Asha George shares her journey of transitioning from the corporate sector to an apprenticeship with an Independent Local Estate Agent. She reveals how this change has not only met but exceeded her expectations, bringing a sense of relief and satisfaction after a challenging start.

My time at Cross Keys has been nothing short of amazing. The workplace exudes a fantastic atmosphere, and the team is equally excellent. As I approach the end of my apprenticeship as a Junior Estate Agent, I am filled with gratitude for the unwavering support and guidance from Jack, Craig, and the rest of the team. Their commitment to my development has significantly enhanced my knowledge and skills, making me a better estate agent. This supportive team environment can reassure you about your potential working conditions.

How it all began

Before working with Cross Keys Estates, I began my career as an Estate Agent within the corporate sector, where I worked for almost two years. I was then taken on as an Apprentice Sales Negotiator with the aim of obtaining a Level 2 in Customer Service (sadly, my employers at this time didn’t enrol me as promised, which was a huge frustration).

The corporate sector of the Estate Agency business is a world apart from the environment of independent, local estate agents. In corporate agencies, each person is a different section of an estate agency conveyor belt, with roles that rarely intertwine. This separation leads to inefficiencies that are far removed from independent agencies’ collaborative and efficient spirit. Understanding these differences can be enlightening for those considering a career in an estate agency.

Targets are a massive part of the job in the corporate world with big expectations. To get your main commission paid as a sales negotiator, in an average four-week month, you need to have booked 16 valuations that have gone ahead, and 4 people, who you booked in to see the branch mortgage advisor, must have paid the fee to use them.

Your average daily targets would be to make 70 phone calls daily, register four new applicants, book one valuation, book one mortgage appointment, book six viewings, and get four to five monthly sales. Hitting these targets involved a lot of exclusive desk work, calling through all the applicants, previous valuations, and historic completions to register people and book appointments.

My experience in this environment could have been better. Unfortunately, training was minimal, staff retention was awful, and the working environment was far from positive and supportive. After almost two years, I decided something had to change and began to question if this was the right career for me at all – and that’s when I received a surprise email from Jack at Cross Keys Estates! 

Finding my happy workplace 

Before becoming an estate agent, I had emailed all the local agents asking for advice on what I needed to do. Jack and Craig were the sole responders. They offered me a wealth of advice on becoming an estate agent, answering the many questions I asked without a second thought. They explained they had no vacancies then but would let me know if that changed.

Almost three years after my first email, Jack contacted me, and we arranged an informal meeting to discuss career opportunities. I left our meeting feeling far more positive about my prospects as an Estate Agent. I was delighted to be offered the position of Property Consultant and the opportunity to become a qualified Junior Estate Agent through Property Mark, so I decided to accept the job.

What does my apprenticeship involve?

The Junior Estate Agent course covers several essential topics, which has given me a step up in knowledge and set me apart from many other agents. It covers everything from customer service to legislation, construction, defects, and planning!

An assessor from the college pays a visit to the office every month to go through my work, discuss where I am in my course and provide any extra support needed. The course entails a fair bit of reading, practical learning by doing my day-to-day job, working on workbooks to contextualise my learnt knowledge, and shadowing Jack on various appointments, all before an End Point Assessment.

The End Point Assessment is a mix of professional discussions on critical topics with Property Mark Assessors and scenario-based questions where I need to use my knowledge to answer the question and provide examples of times I have dealt with this specific scenario and what I did.

To manage both my day-to-day work and my apprenticeship, I have a full morning each week set aside in the diary so that I can do my research and coursework. However, if I need any extra days or times, I know that I can always get them. This allows me to focus solely on getting my qualifications.

Even without considering my apprenticeship, my growth and learning in the last year as an estate agent have far surpassed what I experienced in almost two years in the corporate industry. This personal and professional growth is a testament to the opportunities and support available in the independent estate agency where every team member works in harmony, as we are trained to carry out every task necessary to function as a business. We all book appointments, conduct viewings, speak to vendors and applicants, deal with offers, deal with sales progression, etc.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to gain all the necessary knowledge and skills to be a brilliant estate agent. While it entails much learning, I am all the better for it. They are a great gateway to begin as an Estate Agent and a fantastic opportunity for agents who have worked in the industry but want to have a deeper understanding and expand their knowledge!

I have headed up Cross Keys Lettings Maintenance department since 2020 and this has proved to be challenging but also hugely enjoyable! As soon as tenants report a maintenance issue on their property, I then look into it further and report directly to the landlord of the property. It goes without saying that we get some urgent issues like water leaks, boilers breaking down and so I have to sweet talk contractors into dropping what they are doing to attend immediately!

One of the most frustrating things for me is when I set up a visit for a contractor to attend a property and the tenant either forgets or has to go out so the contractor cannot gain access and I have to set up the visit again. I have learned that regardless of what a tenant or a contractor says to me, I insist that they take a key!

We have had a couple of amusing issues such as when I attended a property to get rid of a mouse in the cupboard and yes, I did it! I’ve crawled under cupboards to stops small leaks, had my hands down drains, unblocked sinks and done all sort of other yukky things but I am a really pro-active person I just get on with it. I have joked to my Directors that I could do with a workman’s tool belt but this still hasn’t arrived yet!

On the whole I have a very good relationship with my Landlords, as at the end of the day they are putting their properties into our hands and trusting us to look after them as best as we can. I do believe that the key to keeping all parties happy is communication. I do my utmost to keep everyone updated at all times but sometimes I do have to put my “school-maam” voice on to gee up the Contractors! I am a great believer in kindness and understanding and this does go a long way in my role but of course I also have to take a firm stance on occasion.

It goes without saying that tenants can get quite stressed about things so I always do my best to reassure them and deal with the problem as quickly and efficiently as I can. I think (hope) that they do appreciate what I do.

When I have a stressful day, like we all do sometimes, there is nothing I love more than a dip in the sea to calm down and relax. Some people laugh as they think I am mad, especially on a freezing January morning, but I find it very therapeutic and I would recommend it to anyone. I started sea swimming during the covid epidemic and it is now part of my life and I would be lost without it!

The worst thing is when the weather is bad and I cannot go in – it sometimes ruins my day! If you don’t see me swimming you will catch me in my garden looking after my plants which I have grown for many a year. I also love walking and often go with with a friend so that we can put the world to rights, which I think we all do, especially during these difficult times. Nothing ever gets solved but it’s fun! A good talk, laugh and cry, on occasions, does us all good and helps us get ready for a fresh start to another day.

It is well documented that we, as a nation, have had some particularly challenging times in the last few years including covid, gas and electricity prices going sky high, interest rates going up, rents going up, to mention but a few! The fact that gas and electricity prices have risen so much has had an impact on people’s energy usage and this has meant that people have not heated their properties as much as they would ordinarily do, due to being afraid of the enormous bills these would create.

As a result of this, there has been a huge increase in the amount of condensation that is in people’s homes, which has, in turn, been detrimental to their standard of living and in some cases their health. There is a real lack of knowledge when it comes to things like condensation and black spot mould but the rise in it has meant that we, as a Company, are finding ourselves trying to inform and educate people what causes it and how to treat it. It is understood that there are other types of damp such as rising damp and water ingress, which are entirely different things and would need a specialist to investigate further.

The most common type of damp found in properties is caused by condensation. As you can imagine, just by living in a property, moisture is created by cooking, bathing & showering, washing & drying clothes and even breathing! Condensation occurs when moisture laden air is cooled to a point where it can no longer hold all its moisture and it will then go to the coldest part of the house, which is invariably an external wall that does not open to the elements. Over time, the condensation can then start to turn into black spot mould, which can be dangerous to health if the spores are inhaled in sufficient volume. Unbelievably, there are 100’s of species of mould that are carried in the air that can settle and grow if the conditions are right.

The best way to keep the levels of condensation down is to produce less moisture by following the tips below:

1. Cover saucepans whilst cooking & do not leave kettles boiling.
2. Do not dry your washing inside the property.
3. Always close the bathroom door when showering / taking a bath.
4. Always close the kitchen door when cooking.

It is also particularly important to heat the property but sadly some homes are only heated for part of the time; this can result in condensation occurring when the rooms are unheated. This has been a huge issue over the last 18 months or so due to the energy crisis, which has impacted people’s affordability to use their heating. Keeping the whole home consistently warm will reduce condensation. This is better, and may be cheaper, than having intermittent heating to higher temperatures of parts of the home.

As well as heat, it is also imperative that properties are well ventilated, which will help remove the moisture from the atmosphere. Please see some tips below, which will assist in keeping the air moving:

1. Ventilate kitchens and bathrooms when in use. After use open the windows wider to remove the remaining moisture.
2. Keep windows on “air lock” or ensure the windows “trickle vents” are open (if fitted).
3. Ensure that any extractor fan you have in the kitchen or bathroom is switched on when the rooms are in us and for approximately 20 minutes thereafter (they are usually set to a timer for this).
4. Ensure that your tumble dryer is vented outside (if applicable).
5. Wipe off wet surfaces, for example, where condensation has formed on windows or after using the shower.
6. Use a dehumidifier if you have one available to you.
7. Ventilate cupboards and wardrobes. Avoid putting too many things in them as this stops the air from circulating. Where possible, position wardrobes and furniture against internal walls.
8. Leave a space between the back of the wardrobe and the wall.

In simple terms, if you see black spots around your window or on your walls then that is black spot mould, which is caused by a lack of ventilation coupled with a lack of heat. It is our enemy, so immediately wipe it away and then introduce both heat and ventilation to the room. I am sure you have seen some horrific examples on the news, but these are the extreme and it is usually a combination of condensation, water ingress and even some rising damp. Nevertheless, it is important to keep on top of the issue but if you feel it is getting out of control then speak to a specialist to see if there is an underlying cause.