Behind the scenes of estate agency

Earlier this year, Alyssa spent a week with us learning about all aspects of working for an independent estate agency and this was her account of her week with us.

"I have done work experience this week at Mockford & Hunt. It is a good experience to put on your CV but more importantly, doing it at a place you are interested in is actually helpful because you can learn a lot about it. I chose to do it with estate agents because when I am older, I want to do something to do with houses, such as an estate agent. I have learned loads, especially about customer service. I was surprised about this because I thought that it was just about houses. This is really important to know because in estate agency, you need good communication and people skills. Mockford & Hunt make this their priority as it makes the customers have a better experience with buying or selling their house. They do this by having WhatsApp groups with their clients so that they can be there to help 24/7 and so they will be content with the whole process.

I have also learned about the process of buying or selling a house which will help me a lot in the future along with how a mortgage works. These things are not taught in school and so doing work experience is a good idea, it is also fun because the company put a lot of effort into making it fun and interesting for you.

Before I went to work experience I was pretty nervous and had no idea what to expect. Then I went to talk to Tim and Frances and they were kind and friendly. They spoke to me about what I would be doing and why I wanted to do work experience at an estate agents. I was still nervous when I started but they were very welcoming and I was fine straight away and had an amazing week. As Mockford & Hunt is only a small business, it is more relaxed and not pressurising.

Through my week at Mockford & Hunt, I have done a lot. On Monday I went to two house viewings to show the customers around and I also went on the website to refresh the pictures of the houses so they are more likely to sell. On Tuesday, I put “SOLD by Mockford & Hunt” on all of the sold houses on the website, went out to a valuation and printed the leaflets for the next day. On Wednesday, we went to the sold houses and posted leaflets through doors down the roads to say that we sold those houses and to look at Mockford & Hunt if they are thinking about selling their house too. This was a success because we got a valuation from it straight away! On Thursday, we went to a valuation and then a viewing. And the last day Friday, we had breakfast at a cafe and went to a valuation, viewing and I went with the photographer to take pictures of a house for the website and he showed me how he makes the layouts. Overall, I have really enjoyed my time and hope I can be an estate agent in the future."

Alyssa, year 10.

If you are interested in a career within estate agency, then feel free to get in touch with Mockford & Hunt and we'd be happy to talk to you about the possibility of work experience. Just call us on 01233367606 or email at enquiries@mockfordandhunt.co.uk