Last week marked the official launch of The New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship Programme across the country.

The programme is part of a national drive to offer job opportunities to those who have skills in business, wish to change career or are looking for a chance to retrain and ‘earn while they learn.’

Supported by New Zealand’s largest real estate company, Harcourts, select offices nationwide have jumped on the chance to upskill and provide employment for professionals who may have had a career in another industry such as teaching, nursing, in a trade, or maybe even the police force.

Harcourts Group Chief Executive, Hayden Duncan says this is an opportunity to provide careers to skilled professionals and to continue to extend the quality of the real estate industry.

“Lately there have been reports in the media about the lack of employment, and skilled professionals unable to gain employment in their particular field of study or trade. What we are offering is an opportunity for educated people with experience in the workforce, a chance to upskill themselves with full support and training so they have a chance to have a successful career over the rest of their working life.”

“The New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship Programme offers a retainer and many benefits that support it to be a substantial package for recipients. Recent regulations and requirements introduced into the industry have ensured that certain levels of professionalism and accountability are delivered to all sellers and buyers. We want to share the knowledge and professionalism our brand is associated with, to grow the industry in a way that not only delivers outstanding real estate experiences, but in doing so maintains the ‘Harcourts Way’ as the ‘industry standard’ in terms of real estate services,” says Mr. Duncan.

“Real estate is no longer a job that just anyone can enter into as once thought - it is a profession requiring in depth training and for some it can be a life changing career move,” comments Mr. Duncan.

Recipients of the New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship Programme receive a salary plus commission, their national certificate and license in real estate plus full training, with all course expenses paid for; a substantial investment into personal profile marketing material and the support of the best in the business, topped off with attendance to the largest real estate conference in New Zealand in 2013 – all while they learn. All this comes from within an industry that traditionally has never paid salaries.

The training completed with Harcourts’ Academy, has the largest in-house training facilities of any real estate company in the country, so candidates are in the best of hands and The New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship Programme is available within all areas of real estate covering residential, rural, commercial and industrial sales.
Available to anyone new to selling real estate i.e. has not been actively selling; The New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship Programme will have one intake this year and run for a period of twelve months. After the first twelve months, successful candidates have the opportunity to further advance their real estate career engaging in more advanced training.

There are over 25 scholarships on offer spanning the country from Greater Auckland to Queenstown and the campaign has now been launched on social media sites Facebook, Twitter, online via seek.co.nz, stuff.co.nz, various print and radio stations across the country.

You can apply for The New Zealand Real Estate Scholarship or to find out more information, at www.opennewdoors.co.nz or by free calling 0508 OPEN DOORS.