What does a Estate Agent actually do?

The short version

Estate agents sell and let houses — valuations, viewings, negotiation, and holding fragile chains together. It's a sales job with a property badge: modest basic salary, commission on top, and income that tracks both your numbers and the housing market's mood.

The pitch: no qualifications needed, real earnings of £██–███K OTE for good negotiators, and a clear path to running a branch. The catch: Saturdays are workdays, slow quarters hit your pay directly, and the stereotype — earned by the industry's wide quality spread — is yours to overcome.

Entry routes that actually work

• Trainee negotiator — agencies hire on personality and a driving licence; no qualifications needed.
• Lettings first — easier to land, and growing compliance value under new renting law.
• New homes sales — steadier basics and team commission via developers.