Why technology will let you open doors in property
A TECHNOLOGY boom in the property industry has opened the door to a host of new careers.
Investment in what is known as ‘ proptech’ reached £2.6 billion in 2016, and job opportunities are expanding.
Lesley Mayles, head of research at Datscha in London, says: ‘I provide research and analysis on the UK real estate market, building a database of commercial properties.
‘ Datscha has relationships with the Land Registry, Companies House, the Valuations Office and Ordnance Survey so we can gather details and give an insight about commercial property landowners.’
Lesley, 41, adds: ‘ It’s exciting working with a team in the early stages of such a rapidly evolving and innovative industry — and I get the opportunity to travel overseas regularly.
‘ Recently, I compiled research for a story using the Datscha platform to show who were the biggest landowners in London. The story went global.’
Lesley advises others considering a proptech career: ‘Learn as much about it as possible, particularly the fundamentals of the property industry. Be innovative and follow the latest industry news.’
Eddie Holmes, partner at Hyre, the UK’s first proptech recruitment specialist, says: ‘New roles are appearing daily at companies ranging from technology start-ups to large property firms.
‘There are opportunities in business development, customer service and account management.
‘ We are seeing huge growth in virtual reality solutions for property viewings and a trend towards the new breed of online estate agents.’
Start-ups tend to be more interested in attitude than experience, so there are opportunities for entrants and people swapping from other, relevant careers.