Role: Estate Agency Partner
Company: Fetherston Clements
Track Record:
Working his way up through the ranks gave estate agency partner, Will Miscampbell a sound understanding of the business.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
After studying Economics at university, I worked for two years as a trainee accountant in Dublin before moving into estate agency. I then worked as a lead valuer in Bangor before joining one of the leading estate agencies in Northern Ireland at the time, working in the firm’s new home division. After six years I moved to join another well-established firm as associate director. I’ve spent the last four years as a partner at Fetherston Clements.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I particularly enjoyed studying Geography – I went to Methody and had some really fantastic teachers.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I studied Economics at Oxford Brookes University. The university had an exceptionally strong rowing team which was a big attraction for me having rowed for Ireland while at school. I graduated in 2000 and found work in Dublin.
How did you get into your area of work?
After two years in Dublin, I decided that accountancy wasn’t for me. I began to consider estate agency as my friends and family had suggested it would be a good fit for my personality and that I would enjoy it. I’m a bit of a talker and love meeting new people, which is a big part of the role. I started at the bottom of the estate agency ladder and progressed quickly through the ranks. The industry was indeed a great fit for me and I haven’t looked back since. Having a background in business and economics also definitely helped set me apart from others.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
No, I had initially thought about becoming an accountant. My father and grandfather had forged successful careers in the sector and I was keen to emulate their success, however I chose to take my career in a different direction and I have enjoyed every day since.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
There are a lot of great surveying courses available, especially those accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), but they aren’t essential if you would like to become an estate agent. In my opinion, it’s more important to have the right attitude and an open and friendly personality.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
A business or management degree would give you a good foundation for understanding the fundamentals of business. If you are at school or university and you think that a career in estate agency is right for you, then apply for work experience in an agency and keep up to date with industry trends by reading and following the relevant publications and social media platforms.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
As estate agents our goal is to make transactions as smooth as possible between parties therefore it’s essential to have good communication skills. An element of pragmatism is also important as we can’t always predict the way a deal is going to go and, as we are often juggling many different properties at any one time, it pays to be organised.
What does a typical day entail?
I would generally wake up shortly before 6am and help get my three children ready for school. Once I’ve finished the school run, I’ll arrive into work at around 8.30am. We have a meeting each morning to discuss everyone’s diary for the day and what happened the previous day. In a busy office, getting an opportunity to sit down together can be difficult so it’s good to set aside a few minutes each morning to catch up with each other. After the meeting, I will deal with any enquiries and sales. Then I could be out doing valuations, appraisals or viewings – no two days are ever the same.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
Being a relatively new estate agency brings its challenges but we have worked hard to build a name for ourselves and, as a result, we have developed a fantastic customer base and we now have offices in east Belfast, south Belfast and Bangor. There are many positive aspects of the job, such as getting the opportunity to work on high-profile property developments. For example, Fetherston Clements is the selling agent for the high-end apartments in the Obel – the tallest and most iconic residential site in Northern Ireland – which have recently undergone a major refurbishment project. Delivering customer satisfaction is another major positive – nothing beats seeing a buyer move into their new property or seeing a vendor happy with what has been achieved.
Why is what you do important?
Most people will be involved in buying or selling property at some point in their lives. Our role as estate agents is to make what can often be a stressful situation as painless and quick as possible. We do get emotionally invested in our deals and really do what we can to give our clients the best guidance possible. Every single transaction really matters to us.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
It’s really important in this industry to be able to communicate easily with a wide range of people so, with that in mind, I would say keeping yourself up-to-date with current affairs and local news will help when breaking the ice with clients. Apart from that, I would aim to get the best qualifications you can as it can give you a real leg up into a competitive industry.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Set your watch five minutes early!
Describe your ideal day off.
I often work longer hours than I probably should, so my ideal day off would involve spending time with my wife Linda and my three children, doing whatever fun activity the kids choose that day. Aside from that, I really enjoy cycling and some evenings you might find me out running up the Mournes – exercise definitely helps give me a bit of head space while away from the working environment.