Attractive scholarships set to attract new wave of real estate specialists

New Zealanders passionate about taking up a career in real estate are being offered the chance to fulfill their ambitions – thanks to a series of scholarships worth nearly $50,000 each.

The comprehensive scholarships are the first of their kind in New Zealand and are being offered by leading real estate agency Bayleys. They encompass all sectors of the property market – including residential, commercial and industrial, and country.

Scholarship applications will be open to anyone in any part of the country – regardless of age, background, education qualifications, or geographic location. Existing real estate sales consultants with up to two years industry experience are also eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Each of the scholarship packages on offer across New Zealand include:

• Full training with an ITO approved organisation - under the new Real Estate Agents Act, to gain a National Salesperson License
• A four-day intensive training course at Bayleys Property College in Auckland – with a special emphasis on working within the new Real Estate Agents Act
• Creation of an agent profile website and personal biography - enabling the scholarship recipient to ‘hit the ground running’ when seeking new listings and customers
• $5000 worth of property advertising in Bayleys’ suite of national magazines, in whichever property sector the scholarship recipient chooses.

Successful scholarship recipients will also be offered employment with Bayleys, encompassing a guaranteed salary if they choose. Bayleys’ managing director Mike Bayleys said that scholarship applicants should be able to demonstrate a passion and commitment to the real estate industry, along with possessing strong ‘people’ skills, and a desire to build their own business brand under the Bayleys umbrella.

“These scholarships are about creating solid career opportunities with well defined career paths,” Mike Bayley said.

“The Bayleys Working Scholarship acknowledges that for many people, personal financial constraints may prevent them from following their true ambitions of becoming the real estate professionals.”

Bayleys’ recruitment manager Carol Henry said the scholarships guaranteed recipients a salaried retainer to help the novice salesperson establish themselves in the marketplace and quickly come up to full earning potential. That reflected just how seriously Bayleys as a company was committed to the long-term future of its new recruits, and the wider real estate profession.

“Money isn’t everything though. By additionally providing scholarship recipients with the skills and knowledge they need to take up a role in the industry – from training and qualifications, through to expertise and equipment – Bayleys is underwriting not only their career, but also sustainability of the greater industry as a whole,” Ms Henry said.

“The property market is relatively stable now on the whole following on from what was a pretty tough couple of years in the recession, and the real estate sector is beginning to once again attract people who see it as a long-term career path with the potential to be high-earner,” she added.

Bayleys Working Scholarship applications open on March 15 and run through until April 16. Application forms can be acquired by contacting Carol Henry - ‘phone 0800 BAYLEYS, on mobile 021 469 300, email carol.henry@bayleys.co.nz or on the web at www.bayleys.co.nz