Real estate management officer: experience report by graduate Fabian Weber - as a former landscape gardener, this training enabled me to gain a foothold in real estate management

Fabian Weber

Please tell us about your career to date.

My name is Fabian Weber and I live in Hunzenschwil. I originally trained as a landscape gardener. I then completed a commercial diploma at the KV Aarau commercial college. A little later, I completed further training to become a real estate management clerk. Today I work for Migros Pensionskasse Immobilien and am responsible for around 200 apartments.

Why did you decide to become a real estate management assistant?

I came to the real estate sector more by chance. While working as a landscape gardener, I became aware of this area by chance through a colleague. After completing my commercial diploma, I took a job at Migros Pensionskasse Immobilien and worked there for about four years. In order to develop my skills in the field of real estate management and to learn new things, I decided to train as a real estate management clerk at HKV Aarau.

How does further training in real estate management support you in your current job?

Today, I am mainly responsible for rental properties and deal with tenant changes - i.e. tenants moving in and out. In this context, I have to be familiar with the legal aspects, property management and renovation requirements. I was able to acquire the necessary knowledge in these areas during my training as a real estate management clerk. And I can apply this regularly in my day-to-day work.

What did you like best about the training to become a real estate management assistant?

What I liked best about the Real Estate Management Clerk course was that it was a part-time course. I was able to continue working as normal and attend the course or study in the evenings. This allowed me to combine my private life, school and business life in the best possible way.

How did you find out about the KV Aarau business school?

I came across the HKV Aarau through a radio advertisement. This aroused my interest and I then attended the information evening. I then decided to do my commercial diploma there. It was immediately clear to me that I would also complete the further training course in real estate management at HKV Aarau.

Has the Real Estate Management Assistant course improved your market value?

On the Real Estate Management Officer course, you naturally get to know a lot of people - both students and lecturers. Most of the people I still have contact with work in the real estate sector. As a result, you know some people who work in the sector. This can also open up opportunities to move to other real estate companies. So I have certainly gained a good network. But I can also say for myself that my everyday manner has become more confident thanks to my training as a real estate management assistant.

What do you find easier in your job today after your real estate management training?

Thanks to my further training in real estate management, I am more confident in delicate situations, for example in legal matters or in connection with structural damage, as my knowledge in this area gives me confidence. As a real estate management clerk, I also have the better arguments in delicate discussions. This further training is particularly useful when I have difficulties with tenants or tradesmen.

What did you find particularly helpful during your training as a real estate management assistant?

The subjects of law and real estate management helped me particularly well during my training as a real estate management clerk. These two subjects really helped me the most personally. Although I only deal with rental properties in my job, I was able to learn a lot of things on the course, such as condominium ownership. Even if I don't need it at the moment, it supplements my knowledge and there's always a situation where it's useful to know about it.

When did you like it best in class?

What I liked best about my training as a real estate management assistant was when I learned things and was then tested on them in an intermediate exam. These exams showed me what I had really mastered and what I could put into practice. The grading gave me a better idea of my own performance. There was also a great sense of achievement.

What was the atmosphere like at the KV Aarau business school?

We had a very good class in the Real Estate Management Clerk course and great lecturers. It was relaxed and informal. The course went well and we were well guided through the training. We also had a really great learning group and were a strong team.

Who would you recommend the Real Estate Management Clerk or Real Estate Management Clerk course to?

I would recommend the Real Estate Management Clerk course to anyone who has either been working in the real estate industry for a year or two and would like to deepen their knowledge and develop their skills, or who would like to enter the field of real estate management as a career changer. You don't need direct office experience, but you do need basic accounting knowledge, especially for the accounting subject. This is because bookkeeping poses a certain challenge for people who do not have this kind of prior knowledge. Otherwise, however, a great deal of knowledge is taught from the ground up.

Was there a particular "aha" moment for you in the real estate management course?

Yes, there were several moments during my training as a real estate management clerk when a light went on for me. I had such meaningful moments in construction, for example, where you can suddenly classify and name damage from the past. In the area of management, it was particularly the accounts and how the exact correlations are structured there.

What do you like about HKV Aarau?

What I particularly like about the commercial school KV Aarau is the good connections - it is easily accessible both by public transport and by car. Despite the beautiful old building, HKV Aarau offers a good and modern infrastructure. For me, these are good prerequisites for someone who wants to train as a real estate management assistant here.

To the school overview "Real estate management clerk (certified)"