My Journey To Becoming A Surveyor- Marc Kelly

At Cushman & Wakefield, during the Graduate Programme, we follow a rotational program where we switch roles within the company twice over a two year period. This approach allows us to gain valuable experience across various aspects of the business, providing a well-rounded perspective and appreciation for different sectors.

After completing my Leaving Cert, I studied a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the National University of Galway. At that time, I was set to join the Connacht Rugby Academy as I had aspirations of forging a career as a professional player and I decided to study Commerce as it presented me with a good opportunity to gather a comprehensive understanding of the different business disciplines being Accountancy, Economics, Marketing and Human Resource Management. ?

After three enjoyable years, my contract with Connacht ended and coincidentally I was entering my final year of college and was still quite unsure about what path I wanted to take moving forward. I found myself torn between taking a graduate role with an agri-food company or joining the Cadets within the Irish Defence Forces. However, over the course of my final year studies, a representative from Rugby Players Ireland had continuously reached out to me to provide advice and career support. They first broached the idea of doing something property related and put me in contact with former Rugby players who had previously transitioned into a career in property. Members of my family have various involvements in Property and from discussions with them I decided that this was the sector I wanted to work in. The concept of balancing office work with site visits truly did appeal to me, with the idea that each day would provide a new challenge.

I didn’t have much of an understanding of the different intricacies of real estate and how it functioned, and I knew I had to develop a wider knowledge of this which meant doing a post-graduate degree. I wanted to study abroad for the year and so I enrolled in a Master’s in Real Estate and Planning at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. I really enjoyed the course, especially the modules that related to Real Estate Development and Property Markets. When I told my friends that I was heading to Scotland to do the Masters for a year, each of them responded with the same question: ‘Wait, you can study Real Estate?’ This reaction underscores the reality that this profession often remains shrouded in anonymity. There’s a significant demand for more information to be made accessible to students in schools as they contemplate their career paths.

Upon completing my master’s, I returned to Ireland and joined Sherry FitzGerald as a negotiator in second-hand residential sales. My role as a negotiator mainly comprised of conducting market appraisals, scheduling/conducting viewings, marketing properties and negotiating prices on behalf of vendors. This role gave me a great understanding of how to interact with clients on a daily basis and how to conduct myself professionally within the Real Estate environment. I spent two years with the company and worked in the Clonee, Castleknock and Lucan branches. Whilst working in the different offices I gained valuable insights into how the other property departments operated within the wider business which consisted of Country Homes and Estates, New Homes, Mortgages and the Countrywide franchises. I was very grateful to have learned from some brilliant agents who helped mentor and guide me, through my time there.

I had always been curious about commercial property which mostly stemmed from the development modules I had completed in college and I used to enjoy articles in the Irish Times that focused on the commercial property market and the ongoing deals that were happening. In September 2021,?I applied to Cushman & Wakefield?after hearing about an exciting opportunity through my network to join their?Graduate Programme. I eagerly accepted the offer and became a member of the?Development Land and Logistics Team. It’s been an exciting journey ever since! For the first 12 Months I worked within the two departments on lots of exciting projects. Some of the highlights include working on the acquisition of stores for Screwfix and Kellihers Electrical across Ireland and on the disposal of two large industrial assets in Slaney Road, Glasnevin and Western Industrial Estate, Naas Road. I particularly enjoyed the fast pace of Agency as I found myself away from my desk quite frequently on site visits and viewings. This gave me great exposure as I met a handful of high-profile clients within the industry.

At Cushman & Wakefield, during the Graduate Programme, we follow a rotational program where we switch roles within the company twice over a two year period. This approach allows us to gain valuable experience across various aspects of the business, providing a well-rounded perspective and appreciation for different sectors. After my time in agency, I rotated over to the Valuation & Advisory department which helped provide me with a broader understanding of the different commercial property disciplines. My role within the Valuations Team involved inspecting and valuing properties which can all vary greatly from agricultural lands in Co. Monaghan to Georgian Office Buildings in Merrion Square. Each valuation is different and so too is the approach that can be used. We can be required to carry out drive-by, desktop or full internal inspections on the property. Using valuation software such as Argus Developer for valuing Development Land Sites and Argus Enterprise for valuing Trading Assets for Investment purposes, has been a great learning experience.

After spending a year in Valuation & Advisory, I am back working with the Development Land and Logistics Team and will be sitting the APC in the coming months to become a Chartered Surveyor. I am grateful for the opportunities that Cushman & Wakefield has afforded me to date and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.