Do you feel that your learning programme has helped you to develop new skills and knowledge? How has this helped you to develop within your working role?
The apprenticeship has helped me develop and improve my skills and knowledge to help my everyday personal and professional life. By putting my new skills to use, I’ve been able to climb the ladder within the largest corporate estate agency in the UK, as well as win numerous awards.
Fast forward to today – the knowledge and skills and experience I have picked up along the way has allowed me to set up my own business within the property industry – Aisha Realty Limited, (Partnered with Three2Six).
A bit of a background on how you got into setting up your business, how did your apprenticeship help?
Having had a passion for Real Estate from a young age I knew I was made to deal with property, so got my foot in the door as soon as the opportunity came up. I started working with a large corporate agency and climbed the ropes quite quickly.
Within just under 4 years of working for the company I became Top Negotiator within the region, Top Lister within the company, beat company records and won overseas a top achiever trip. However, this never felt fulfilling and the numbers game was something I struggled to believe in.
I noticed there seemed to be a trend with many of the big branded high street agents where the focus was on the numbers and stats as opposed to the focus on the quality of service and building long-term relationships with clients which was always very important to me.
I have always loved the idea of becoming an entrepreneur/ business owner and working for myself, so once I felt it was time to move on I decided to set up on my own rather than joining another similar company.
Thanks to my apprenticeship I was able to learn additional knowledge relating to the larger property industry and general life/ business skills.
This helped me to see the bigger picture and gave me a better understanding of Estate Agencies in general which has been very useful. Throughout the course, I worked on projects, studied for my ARLA exams and completed my level 3 housing property management course which is proving to be very beneficial for me still today. I have been able to take what I have worked on and learnt since starting my apprenticeship to sound more knowledgeable and confident in my abilities when speaking with Landlords. In addition to this, I feel it is important to add how supportive each member of the Babington team have been when I have discussed my new venture and ideas- most of all Daniel Ray.
What are the challenges of managing your own business? What do you find rewarding about it?
The biggest lesson for me so far has been understanding the importance of self-discipline when it comes to being your own boss. There is no set time to get into the office anymore and nobody to keep you on top of your game- it is all down to you.
Being self-employed and working from home can get quite lonely, so it is important to get into a routine of spending days working from different places and surrounding yourself with new people. This will not only make each day different but also help with interacting and connecting with like-minded people growing your professional network which ultimately helps with everyone’s individual businesses.
That being said I haven’t looked back and enjoyed every day of this new journey. I am able to provide the service I believe clients look for and create change within the Real Estate Industry. Times have changed and the traditional strategy no longer works for everyone, I recognise this and am here to offer a bespoke service to all clients and also offer support and advice to any agents out there who are looking to set up on their own but are struggling to take the first step.
It is nice to be able to work for my own dream, and on my own terms.
What has been your most memorable moment or greatest achievement during your apprenticeship? What positive impact has your learning programme had?
From the very beginning, I have been aiming to become an ARLA qualified agent. After completing all 4 units and passing the exams, I can finally say that I have received the qualification. Having this means I can access more relevant and up to date information directly from Propertymark and hopefully increase my credibility when speaking with clients.
Overall, the programme has taught me a lot about the local property market, to think outside the box and most importantly helped me to gain confidence in my abilities.
Is there anyone that you would like to mention that has made your learning experience with Babington memorable?
Daniel Ray – my appointed trainer from when I first started the programme in 2017. He is extremely knowledgeable and knows the industry inside out, he always made sure to stay very approachable and answer all the questions I had. Dan has been a huge part of my personal growth and I’m very grateful for the faith he had in me to succeed – which eventually led me to set up my own business.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Most definitely. I would recommend it to anybody leaving school/college who is unsure about what to do next. Apprenticeships allow you to continue learning whilst gaining work experience. Picking a relevant qualification that interests learners is crucial as it is very important to stay engaged to get as much as you can from the training provided.
As I mentioned earlier, taking the first step is usually the scariest. Although It is still early days with my journey I am happy for anybody needing advice to reach out to me directly, there is enough out there for everyone to do well and to be successful so why not help each other out, right?
