Estate manager

Estate managers manage land and buildings. Their tasks will typically include arranging leases or tenancy agreements, sorting out repairs, or advising on sales and property development.

Also known as:

Land manager
Surveyor – estates

Work activities

Estate managers manage the use of urban and rural land and property. The land and property they manage may be used for industrial, commercial, residential or agricultural purposes. Their tasks include:

Collecting rents for private landlords or landowning organisations.
Arranging leases and tenancy agreements.
Letting industrial buildings.
Arranging for property to be maintained and repaired.
Advising on sales and property development.

Estate managers who work for commercial consultancies or property developers often follow a development project through, from the purchase of land to daily management of the completed scheme.

Local authorities and other public sector organisations often employ estate managers to manage their occupied property and, in some cases, property held as an income-producing investment. They may also become involved in advising planning departments on major property development schemes.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

Estate managers need:

To be flexible workers able to cope with changing situations.
Good communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide variety of different people.
A good level of numeracy.
Strong planning skills.
An interest in buildings and how they are built.
Good IT skills.
Knowledge of legislation related to landlords and tenants.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Estate managers earn in the range of £23,000 - £47,000.

Most work around 38-40 hours, Monday to Friday. However, you may have early starts and late finishes, and you may need to work some weekends.

Employers include central and local government, development companies, private advisory consultancies and property-owning organisations such as retailers and breweries. Local authorities may employ qualified valuers and surveyors in planning departments. They comment on plans and develop and manage property for local authorities.

Estate managers who work for commercial agencies or property developers often follow a project through from the purchase of land to daily management of the property. Opportunities for estate managers occur with employers in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on all the major job boards, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

A number of apprenticeships offer a great way into this career path:

Facilities services operative (level 2 / intermediate)
Facilities management supervisor (level 3 / advanced)
Facilities manager (level 4 / higher)
Senior and head of facilities management (level 6 / degree)

You can also become professionally qualified by becoming a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). You normally do this by taking an accredited degree, although it may form part of an apprenticeship. Suitable courses include estate management and land management. You may be exempt from some RICS exams if you have done a course accredited by them. If your degree is in a subject not related to estate management, you can do a postgraduate conversion course. The RICS produces a list of suitable courses. To qualify as a chartered surveyor, your training must include at least two years’ relevant work experience and professional qualifications.

There are various other relevant courses available. Course titles include:

Real estate management.
Property management and valuation.
Rural property management.

Following the education stage, you will receive training on-the-job.

Experienced managers can progress to more senior roles with more supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

For entry to a degree in a relevant subject, the usual requirement is:

Two to three A-levels.
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in your A-level subjects.
A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English and maths.

Other qualifications are often acceptable as alternatives to A-levels, for example:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, entry requirements for different courses vary, so check university prospectuses for more details.

Entry requirements for apprenticeships are as follows:

Intermediate and advanced: GCSEs in English and maths (it may be possible to complete these alongside your programme).
Higher and degree: Two relevant A-levels plus GCSEs in English and maths.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Many entrants will have skills and abilities gained in a related field, such as construction or surveying. Late entrants can also progress as technical members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges. Several institutions offer relevant postgraduate courses via distance learning, see Ucas.com for a full listing.

Related careers

Civil engineer
Domestic energy assessor
Facilities manager
Farm manager
Housing officer
Manager
Valuer