So, what's it all about?
Housing in the UK is worth around £3,575 billion – over half our total national wealth. The most expensive thing that a person will ever buy is likely to be a house, and the process of buying one involves many people.
The seller appoints an estate agent to value the property, to advertise it, to show around potential buyers, and to manage the sale. The buyer may employ a home inspector to check over the property: it’s their job to examine the property inside and out, and advise on any defects or potential problems, like a leaky ceiling or rising damp – because after buying a house, you can’t simply return it when you find a major fault. Agents are also employed to let properties. They look after the property for the landlord, draft up tenancy agreements, and sort out any problems (from infestations of mice to broken jets in the Jacuzzi, depending on the type of property in question).
Everybody needs a roof over their head. That means the property sector also needs to provide housing for people who can’t afford to buy or rent a house on the commercial market: subsidised housing for families on a low income, sheltered homes for the elderly, hostels for the homeless or temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
There’s more to property than just housing, though. There’s a vast range of premises available for different purposes: corner shops, shopping centres, offices, manufacturing plants, schools and hospitals, to name just a few. Most larger organisations employ facilities managers, who are responsible for looking after buildings and making sure they function efficiently and safely. Their job involves everything from setting the temperature of the air conditioning to organising fire drill procedures.
Finally, this sector includes the cleaners. Whether they’re hoovering up and emptying the bins in a school at the end of the day, cleaning industrial machinery with power hoses, or sterilising hospital wards, we’d be in quite a state without them.
Depending on your chosen career, you’re likely to divide your time between working in an office and visiting a number of other properties. There are jobs available across the country – wherever there are buildings, there’s a property sector.
What qualities do I need?
Apprenticeships in this sector
These are the Apprenticeships currently available in this sector. For more information and for details of the Apprenticeship framework, contact the Sector Skills Council listed after each.
Cleaning and support services
Contact Asset Skills
www.assetskills.org
Housing
Contact Asset Skills
www.assetskills.org
Property services
Contact Asset Skills
www.assetskills.org
Click here for a list of employers offering Apprenticeships in this sector.
Sector Skills Council
Asset Skills
Asset Skills is the Sector Skills Council for the property, housing, facilities management, cleaning and parking industries. For more information on Apprenticeships in this section, visit their website at www.assetskills.org.
Further reading
All Housing Jobs
www.allhousingjobs.co.uk
This website lists job vacancies in social housing.
British Cleaning Council
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
British Institute of Facilities Management
www.bifm.org.uk
Cleaning & Support Services Association
www.cleaningindustry.org
Encams
www.encams.org
The environmental charity responsible for the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, among others.
The Facilities Management Association
www.fmassociation.org.uk
Federation for Window Cleaners
www.f-w-c.co.uk
Keep Scotland Beautiful
www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org
Keep Wales Tidy
www.keepwalestidy.org
National Housing Federation
www.housing.org.uk
Major employers
Kingsmaid Domestic Cleaning
www.kingsmaid.co.uk
Kingsmaid is a cleaning service company that operates nationwide.
Sequence
www.sequencehome.co.uk
Sequence is a national network of estate agents, with over 320 offices operating under 11 well-known local names.