5 good reasons to choose a career in real estate

In brief
Working in real estate means practising a job of advice and management over properties and assets: transactions, property management, co-ownership, land development or investment.
This is not a single job but a family of jobs, with distinct legal, financial and relational skills, for which Excelia Business School trains on its Tours campus, in a Bachelor's programme then a Master of Science (MSc) programme.

Why work in real estate today?

Because the sector is transforming and looking for new skills, rather than simply a talent for sales. Digitalisation, data, artificial intelligence and new uses are changing the way people buy, rent and manage a property.

This shift is making room for operational and agile profiles, able to read a local market as well as a legal file: this is what Excelia Business School trains for in its real estate courses, and what makes the sector accessible to those without an obvious flair for sales. If your plans are still open, our 5 tips for choosing your career will help you see things clearly.

What are the jobs in real estate?

Real estate jobs are not limited to the estate agent: the sector covers transactions, management, development and investment, each with its own roles.

Excelia Business School's real estate programmes lead notably to these positions:

• Real estate wealth manager: monitor and enhance the value of a property owner's or family's assets.
• Estate agency manager: manage a team, a portfolio of mandates and a local market.
• Property Manager, or property manager on behalf of an owner: handle the letting and technical management.
• Asset Manager, or asset manager: arbitrate acquisitions and disposals to improve a portfolio's performance.
• Land development officer: identify buildable land and put together upcoming projects, what the sector calls land development.

To these are added co-ownership management, property valuation, or the Facility Manager, who runs the operation of a building. All roles where you advise and arbitrate, far more than you sell.

Do you need to enjoy contact with people to succeed in real estate?

Yes, but listening and advice matter more than sales ease: a property project often involves the heaviest decision of a lifetime.

The qualities expected are first and foremost interpersonal: active listening, to grasp expectations and the real budget; empathy, to read what is happening during a viewing; discretion, which builds trust; adaptability and composure, when a transaction becomes tense.

The job has its trade-offs, as told by the professionals in the sector who designed Excelia Business School's programmes and who teach on them: extended hours, busy Saturdays, partly variable income. To find out whether this profile is yours, spend a few minutes with our quiz on the management careers that suit you.

What skills is the sector looking for?

Law, management, data and energy efficiency: the skills expected in real estate have changed faster than the image of the job. Good interpersonal skills are no longer enough to handle a case.

Mastering property law and lettings management means securing a transaction from end to end and defending a case in front of seasoned counterparts. Understanding a building's energy efficiency means advising an owner on the work that will make their property cheaper to heat, and so easier to let as well as to sell. This is where real estate meets the wish to have an impact: improving existing buildings means acting on real people's living environment, and that is what the sector is looking for.

The real estate specialisation of the Bachelor in Business opens this path from Bac+3, before Excelia Business School adds finance and asset management at Bac+5: enough to move from the file to the portfolio, and to carry projects where sustainable development weighs in the decision.

What career progression is there in real estate?

Management roles are exercised in three types of organisations, which Excelia Business School's MSc in Real Estate Management prepares you to join: the property management firm, the estate agency and the property development company.

Each has its positions of responsibility, with identifiable titles: agency manager, letting director, land development manager on the land side, co-ownership manager on the property management side. Here, you manage a team and answer for a result, not just a file.

The MSc also opens the way to property development, sales and property management, or property valuation, career paths that are built in the field, as you learn a market.

Which course should you take to work in real estate?

Two paths lead to real estate careers at Excelia Business School, both in Tours: a specialisation in the 3rd year of the Bachelor's degree, then an MSc at Bac+5.

The Real Estate Management and Negotiation specialisation of the Bachelor in Business prepares you for the operational roles of negotiation and management, on a work-study basis if you wish.

The MSc in Real Estate Management, meanwhile, trains you to enhance the value of real estate assets, drawing on finance and property law. It is open to those with a Bac+3 or Bac+4, on a work-study or alternating internship basis. If you are still torn between several specialities, the MSc programmes in the Real Estate field give you the full picture.

Discover the MSc in Real Estate Management

Frequently asked questions

From what level can you specialise in real estate?

From the 3rd year of the Bachelor's degree: Excelia Business School's Bachelor in Business offers a real estate specialisation, in Tours. The MSc in Real Estate Management then extends this path to Bac+5, on the same campus.

Can you work in real estate without being an estate agent?

Yes. The sector notably employs real estate wealth managers, co-ownership managers, property and asset managers on behalf of owners, as well as profiles oriented towards land development.

What qualities are needed to succeed in real estate careers?

Active listening, empathy, discretion and adaptability come before sales talent, because every case involves a life project. Resistance to stress and a sense of advice count just as much.

What is the difference between the Bachelor's and the MSc for training in real estate?

The Bachelor in Business leads to Bac+3 and, with its 3rd-year specialisation, prepares you for the operational roles of negotiation and management, while the MSc in Real Estate Management leads to Bac+5 and targets management roles, in property management, in agencies or in property development.

On which campus does Excelia Business School train students for real estate careers?

In Tours. Excelia Business School delivers there both the real estate specialisation of the Bachelor in Business and the MSc in Real Estate Management.