An estate agent is a person or a business which manages properties, as well as organizing buying and selling properties. The job of an estate agent is generally marketing orientated. The properties which estate agents manage and market are either residential for people to live in or commercial for businesses to set up in. There are also rural estate agents who focus on managing the buying and selling of rural land. An estate agent requires a good knowledge of the local area, and is often required to valuing properties for sale or for renting. The term ‘real estate’ is generally not used in the UK, instead the market refers to it just as ‘property’.

Estate agents are in close contact with brokers, surveyors, solicitors (it is not uncommon for solicitors to also be estate agents) and banks, as well as other estate agents when it comes to the valuing of properties. Estate agents are required to show potential clients around properties as well as drawing up contracts for the property, and providing advice to clients for buying and selling. They often act on behalf of their clients, for example when it comes to auctioning a property or is might be required for them to negotiate with landlords on behalf of their clients.

An estate agent would typically start on a salary from £10,000- £20,000, with experience, this can increase to £25,000-£40,000, this however depends on the size and location of the area they work in.