Property and Real Estate

Acareer in property involves a range of work from sales and lettings to property management and consultancy services. Graduates will work with clients interested in investng in residental, commercial and industrial property, as well as land to be developed.

This feld has opportunites for graduates of any degree discipline, but those in business, economics, law, constructon and engineering are partcularly helpful. However, certain areas of work – such as property surveying – will require specifc degrees or qualifcatons as stpulated by the Singapore government.

Aspiring property surveyors and real estate agents must be registered with the Land Surveyors Board (LSB) and the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) respectvely.

The real estate sector in Singapore contracted in the frst half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before suddenly jumping in the later half. Accordingly, surveys in 2021 show that the number of respondents looking to buy a home this year is greater than that of the year before. In fact, private condominium resale volume hit a 10-year high this year. Unfortunately, the spiking costs of constructon has also brought about fears of a real estate price bubble as well.

You will need…

• An eye for detail • Communicaton skills • Good interpersonal skills • Commercial awareness • Problem-solving skills

Types of employers

• Estate agents • Valuaton consultancies • Asset management and investment consultancies • Property constructon and development companies • Large corporatons and retail chains • Public sector • Financial services providers Types of jobs

• Sales, letngs and acquisitons • Auctoneers • Valuers • Property managers • Consultants

Job-hunting tips

• The graduate recruitment process varies between employers. Larger companies may look for potental candidates at recruitment talks and careers fairs, while smaller companies hire as needed • As job opportunites aren’t widely advertsed, it’s generally recommended to send in speculatve applicatons • Communicaton and marketng skills are key, so hopefuls should make sure that their applicaton highlights them to the company requirements • Business awareness needs to be shown, so keep up-to-date with property trends and the trade press

Work experience

Most large property development companies have internship programmes lastng two to six months. As there’s high demand for these positons, graduates should to apply early in order to secure placements.

Did you know?

A common misconcepton about real estate agents is that they earn a lot. Real estate agents actually don’t have a set benchmark for their salaries as they earn via commission, thus making their wages highly unpredictable.

Most popular employers

1. CapitaLand 2. JTC Corporaton 3. Housing & Development Board (HDB) 4. City Developments Limited 5. Far East Organizaton 6. Mapletree 7. Keppel Corporaton 8. Jones Lang LaSalle 9. Knight Frank 10.Jardines

Source: Singapore Graduate Barometer 2021 editon