Expert urges students to find specialization in real estate practice

The Principal Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Nuel Mark Partnership, a firm of estate surveyors and valuers, Emmanuel Mark, has advised real estate students to select and focus on a specialized field of the profession.

He said this while speaking at an orientation program organized for students of the Real Estate Department, University of Benin recently. Mark said specializing in an aspect of the real estate field would help the students to build deeper knowledge and distinguish them in that aspect of real estate practice.

He said: “Specializing may help you succeed as an estate surveyor and valuer in a big way. Focusing on a certain field of the profession allows you to build a deeper knowledge that distinguishes you. Specialization enables you to better service your clients’ demands, establish a solid reputation, and charge greater fees.

“It is critical to choose a specialty that corresponds to your interests and abilities. However, although specialization may be advantageous, having a solid fundamental grasp of broad real estate/ valuation principles is equally essential for flexibility and adaptability.”

A fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and Rights of Way specialist, Mark encouraged the students to sharpen their passion for the profession, develop good communication skills and their knowledge of the real estate market. He also emphasized that excellent listening and judgment skills and seeking a good mentorship were needed for them to succeed in real estate.

“Another virtue you would need in your real estate practice is perseverance. Successful estate surveyors know how to persevere. The real estate profession is a challenging field. The practice of estate surveying and valuation can be one of the most rewarding and learning careers, but it’s also a lot of work.

“Success requires effort. There will be difficult days you may be stuck dealing with a difficult client making life unnecessarily hard. What sets successful Estate surveyors apart from ordinary Estate surveyors is that they know how to persevere through the challenging times to get the rewarding moments that make it all worthwhile,” he said.

Earlier, Mark took time to educate the students about NIESV and the Estate Valuation and Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) and their relevance to the real estate industry.

He advised the students to attach themselves to a real estate organization, attend NIESV conferences, workshops, seminars and register as probationers with NIESV and ensure they take professional examinations whenever they have acquired enough practical experience.