Fancy a career in property? This time we’re featuring one of our more experienced graduates! Samantha has worked in property for over ten years now with the well-established business Knight Frank.
Here she shares her career success story with us, including telling us about some of the incredible properties she has sold, what she loves about where she works and her career advice to anyone who isn’t sure what to do…
When did you graduate from OMBS?
I graduated from OMBS in 2012 with a Distinction with Honours!
What is your current job role title, company name and sector, and where are you working in terms of location?
I work for Knight Frank out of their regional office in Stratford-upon-Avon. There are different levels of negotiators and I am currently at associate level. My ambition is to become a partner in the future. I specifically look after the urban markets which are the towns of Stratford-upon-Avon, Leamington Spa, Warwick (where I live) and Kenilworth. I also look after several country properties but the core focus is the town properties, which I love.
What are the highlights of your career to date?
I started as receptionist in 2012 but quickly progressed to applicant manager managing viewings and buyers on our database and matching them with suitable properties. I then started assisting my colleagues as a second point of call with their properties and was promoted to negotiator in 2014, then senior negotiator in 2017. Five years later I was promoted to associate.
I can sell properties worth from £800k up to £4m, including incredibly unique architecturally designed ones. I once sold a very special property called the Invisible House – an exceptional piece of modern architecture and the first of its kind in the UK. It was clad in smoked, mirrored glass and connected by glazed walkways. It got quite a lot of PR coverage!
What do you love most about your current role or industry sector?
Knight Frank is the largest privately owned estate agent in the world. I am so proud of the team I work for and love my job. I have wonderful support from colleagues and there is great team morale. Our whole team is really focused on doing the very best they can for our clients.
What skills learnt at OMBS have you found most beneficial to you in your position?
My job is incredibly varied as I do everything from valuating properties, writing brochures, negotiating offers and working on sales progression which means getting a sale through to completion. The IT skills I gained at OMBS have been put to good use!
Keyboarding was and is a huge help with time-saving. I already had skills in it before starting at OMBS and by the time I left I held the record for the fastest typing speed. My colleagues cannot believe how quickly I type without looking!
How did studying with OMBS help you feel confident about your early career and getting your first role?
I didn’t want to stay on at school so before choosing to study at OMBS I worked for a couple of years at Coventry Building Society. I initially worked in their branches and then as a data analyst in their Head Office.
When I started at OMBS I was in a completely different career mindset and put my all into the course. My grades weren’t great at school but by having a few years’ experience in industry in between it was a complete turnaround as I graduated from the course with a Distinction with Honours.
I was fortunate enough to have a private school education which was a great foundation, OMBS just helped build on my character and skills.
What advice would you give an OMBS student?
I recommend the course to anyone I can! OMBS can prepare you for any business or industry sector. I didn’t know which sector I wanted to enter into once I had completed the course, so if you don’t know that either don’t let that worry you.
My work experience was at Aston Martin and I hoped to secure a PA role there, but sadly there were none available. Instead, I registered with several recruitment companies locally that helped me secure my first role at Knight Frank in 2012.
If you aren’t local to Oxford, don’t let this put you off the course. I lived in Warwick and commuted daily. There was an option to live in Oxford but I decided to stay living at home and commute which worked for me.
If you’d like to find out more about the Professional Business Diploma curriculum, please contact our Director of Admissions.