WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RELOCATING TO LONDON FOR YOUR PROPERTY CAREER

Moving to the Capital to embark on a career in the property sector is an exciting prospect.

That said, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. There are many great reasons to relocate to London, but there are also a lot of potential pitfalls. Here we share our experience from helping hundreds of candidates make the move, so your eyes are open to the realities of what to expect.

The positives

Property job opportunities in London are rife

It’s a pretty crude calculation, but there are a lot more chimney pots in London, which means more estate agents are needed to sell and rent these homes, which in turn means more jobs and career opportunities for you.

Data from Statista shows that the city is home to 8.91 million residents living in 3.56 million properties. By 2041, the population is expected to rise to 10.35 million people – all of whom will need a home.

Here at Property Personnel, our roles span junior positions to executive placements and everything in-between. With over 75 percent of our current roles based in London, we understand what an exciting career move this could be for you.

London offers higher salaries

It’s common knowledge that workers are paid more in the capital. The average weekly wage in London is £727, considerably more than the next six highest earning cities – Reading, Crawley, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Slough and Oxford – with average wages of £600.

Working within London’s property market, you can expect to earn impressive commission – one of the big draws of the capital.

In many ways, what happens in London bears no resemblance to the rest of the country. Here you could spend a cool £1m on a narrowboat, while that same money could buy you an Essex mansion or a castle up in the north. An average home in London costs over 2.5 times more, which means increased estate agency fees and, in turn, increased potential commission.

It’s exciting!

Who doesn’t like the idea of a new adventure? Packing your bags and heading to a new city to make new friends and have new experiences – embarking on a new career with incredible potential to achieve new things. It’s not hard to appreciate the lure of London life.

There’s a buzz in the capital where different cultures combine to create a colourful fusion of life from across the world. Whether it’s the variety of food on offer, museums, theatres and historical landmarks, shopping, bars and clubs – the list goes on, but the point is that London really does have something for everyone.

The potential pitfalls

Stress and anxiety

You’ve probably heard that changing job and moving home are two of the most stressful things you can do in life. Do those things at the same time and it takes a really strong person not to feel the pressure.

What’s more, embarking on this new life alone can make the whole experience even more overwhelming, particularly if you’re used to the comfort of life at home, or the support that comes from living with family and friends.

Overnight you’ll need to support yourself – and it will be overnight. Hiring managers within the property sector aren’t going to wait more than four weeks for you to start after they offer you a new position.

Ideally, if you’re relocating to London you’ll already have ties there – even if it’s a friend or family member that you can move in with immediately while you find a place of your own. But if not, it’s important to think through the logistics of relocating, for example:

• In what areas of London are you going to start your search?
• Can you afford a property of your own? Or will you need a house share?
• Do you have the money for a deposit?
• What belongings will you take with you? And how will you move them to your new home?

One of the biggest mistakes we see candidates make is not thinking through the logistics of relocating in enough detail, and when they’re offered a role it sends them into a blind panic.

London is an expensive place to live

Hopefully the higher salary expectations will offset how expensive it is to live in the capital, but unless you’ve done your calculations properly you might be surprised at how little disposable income you’re left with at the end of each month.

You might not like it

What if you pack up your life and step into the unknown, only to find that it’s not for you?

It happens – more often than you might think. Relocating is a big, life-changing move, and yet some people don’t give it the thought it deserves. We’ve had candidates making snap decisions and others moving to be with partners, only for everything to fall apart if their relationship turns sour.

If you can’t demonstrate that you’ve properly considered what a relocation entails, and how it’s going to change your life, it’s going to throw up red flags for potential employers and worse, you risk making the wrong decision.

We recommend to both our candidates and clients that when you’re offered/offering a position, to create an opportunity to meet the team so you can see if you like them, and get a feel for how you’ll fit within the company culture. But also, to visit the office and see the environment in which you’ll be working.

Start your London property career relocation with us

Only you know whether relocating to London for your property career is the right move, but we’re here to help. For you, this is a step into the unknown, but as a specialist recruiter within the property sector, we place and help relocate candidates all the time. We’ve seen it go wrong and can help you avoid making the same mistakes.

We understand these companies and their cultures, so we can help ensure that the roles you’re considering are going to be the right fit for you. Plus, if you’re travelling into London for an interview, we can help you maximise your time by booking several interviews on the same day.

Get started by taking a look at our current London-based property jobs or get in touch with us to find out more.