Introduction

Estates officers are responsible for ensuring that the council’s land and property holdings are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible. They are employed in all types of councils. There are around 3,000 employed in local government within the UK today.

Work Environment

Estates officers work about 36 hours per week and there may be some evening committee work. They are mainly office based, but also have to travel to meetings or sites. Flexitime, job sharing and part time work is sometimes available.

Daily Activities

Estates officers are involved in a range of activities relating to the council’s land and properties including:

• assessing rents due;
• renewing leases;
• considering tenancy applications;
• monitoring tenancy agreements and making sure tenants keep the terms of their lease;
• managing properties, including ensuring that they are well maintained, organising and checking repairs and checking that they are used for their designated purpose;
• assessing the potential of the council’s properties for future use, including the marketing and disposing of land and buildings through sale or let;
• carrying out detailed negotiations with landowners or other interested individuals and companies concerning compulsory purchase;
• preparing written and financial reports for presentation to the council’s committees.

Skills & Interests

Estate officers need to:

• communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing;
• have good organisational skills;
• be able to analyse written and numerical information accurately;
• have good negotiating skills;
• be good at giving presentations;
• be tactful and diplomatic;
• have good computer skills.

Entry Requirements

Although there are no set minimum entry qualifications, most employers will require at least five GCSEs/S grades (grades A-C/1-3), possibly A levels/Highers or similar and an HNC in housing or related subject. A driving licence is also usually required. Some employers might ask for a degree in surveying or housing management.

As an estates officer you may work towards NVQ/SVQ Level 4 in property management or housing.

You can also work towards professional qualifications via two professional bodies: the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV).

RICS membership requirements are as follows:

• To register as a student requires a degree. Entry qualifications for a first degree course are five GCSEs/S grades (grades A-C/1-3) and two A levels or equivalent.
• Graduates with a relevant accredited degree must then do a minimum of two years’ structured experience, followed by a final assessment.
• Graduates with a non-related degree have to begin by following a one year full-time or two-year part-time accredited postgraduate course.
• Students can alternatively complete exempting degree courses (such as a BSc in estate management) or diploma courses. A BTEC/SQA HND/C in land use or estate management (or equivalent) leads to partial exemption and there is a special graduate entry scheme for those with a non-relevant degree.

Estimated salary range

£18,000 – £26,000 per year.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Promotion prospects depend very much on the size and scope of the department – larger departments in larger local councils have a clearly defined promotion ladder, for example you could progress to estates manager, or you might be able to specialise in a particular area of work.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Building Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Inside Housing and The Surveyor – journals.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors www.rics.org.uk

Institute of Revenues, Ratings and Valuation www.irrv.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Building www.ciob.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Housing www.cih.org

Construction Skills www.citb-constructionskills.co.uk

Asset Skills www.assetskills.org

College of Estates Management www.cem.ac.uk

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under BC.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Estates Officer vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.