BY AILEEN MURPHY

With the increasingly popularity of property shows on television a career as an estate agent is becoming more and more attractive to school-leavers who want to make their mark on the world.

One such person who has taken up this particular career is 26-year-old Rodney McVitty, who works with Adrian J. McElroy & Co estate agents in Enniskillen.

Originally from Magheraveely, Rodney joined the Enniskillen firm two-and-a-half years ago, and is very much driving things forward in the family firm, not least with the redesigned website launched recently to allow buyers and sellers up to the minute information.

PORTORA

Rodney explains it was as a pupil at Portora Royal Grammar School that he began to consider a career in property: "Coming from a farming background I suppose I always had an interest in land, and then I started looking into what courses there were available."

Leaving school Rodney took up a place on the University of Ulster's Estate Management course, now called Property, Investment and Management. He explains: "This is a very good course, it is Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recognised, and is very popular. It is a four year course which includes one year of placement.

"I found this a very useful course, especially the year out. It really allows you to see if the course is for you, and as a result to be more focused going into final year.

"It is also a good opportunity to put into practice what is taught in the first two years of the course and to make some important contacts."

Upon graduating from Jordanstown Rodney took up a post with the Valuation and Land Agency (VLA), the government body who deals with rates.

However, he explains the opportunities which are available with an Estate Management degree are endless: "There are tonnes of jobs available, right across the world.

"The RICS accreditation is very well regarded in places like Australia and America. There is a variety of jobs the qualification can lead you into from property investment and development, property management such as dealing with shopping centres, managing property portfolios, working with banks, and many larger companies often have their own property divisions, and depending on which field you end up working in there is a lot of money to be made in some of the larger firms."

CHALLENGES

But for Rodney the career as an estate agent beckoned, he worked to become a Chartered Surveyor during his time at the VLA, then he began looking for a position in an estate agency. He took up his post with Adrian J. McElroy in November 2005, and since then he hasn't looked back: "I'm very happy working here. It allows me to be in touch with the property market in the area and to deal with a wide range of challenges on a daily basis," Rodney explains.

"No two days are the same, and that's exactly what I was looking for in a job," he continues.

"I didn't want to be sitting in an office every day, and this job allows me to get out and meet people, travelling the county and viewing a wide variety of properties."

Rodney explains an estate agent does need to have an eye for design and detail: "Yes, we do give people advice about changes that could help their property get a good price. It is usually only a small detail but it can make all the difference. First impressions are vitally important and in a competitive market you have to make a property stand out."

On the less obvious side of things estate agents increasingly spend a great amount of time on valuation work: "As a Chartered Surveyor I regularly carry out a variety of valuations. From mortgage valuations, bank valuations, probate valuations, matrimonial dispute valuations, and compensation valuations. It's probably the least well known part of being an estate agent but it is a large part of the job."

So what drives Rodney in his chosen career: "There is a buzz clinching a deal. It's very satisfying to see the process through from start to finish, from you first value a property, through to holding viewings, to the completion of the sale. For me it's about getting people the right property and getting clients the right price to allow them to move their plans forward."

On the down side Rodney points to the disappointment when a deal falls through: "It can be frustrating when a deal falls through at the last moment. When you've put all the hard work in and it is all lost. But that happens sometimes, for various reasons, and you just have to deal with it."

PERFECT

For anyone thinking about a career in property, Rodney believes the job offers challenges, but also brings immense satisfaction: "It's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to be tied to the office all the time, and who likes meeting and interacting with people.

"There are good career prospects available as there are so many different fields a person can specialise in that it offers great employment opportunities right across the world, it really is a job that can take you anywhere." he adds.