Do Letting Agents need A-levels?

In January 2024, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, suggested as part of an amendment to the Leasehold and Freehold Bill that estate agents must have at least one A-Level. But is this a reasonable request?

Letting agents require suitable training and qualifications in Scotland and Wales. For example in Scotland, letting agents “need to have a relevant qualification covering essential aspects of letting agency work”. Mr Pennycook is now suggesting this should be the same for English letting agents.

Find out more on Labour’s plans for the private rented sector. 

In 2017, ex-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid called for letting agents meet a “certain level of standards” as part of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. Does this mean they should have A-levels?

We asked Goodlord employees what their thoughts were.

Tom Andrews, Customer Support Representative

“I do think a standardised entry requirement would help to ensure better quality amongst the work done by estate agents, similar to a solicitor undertaking a Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

I don’t think the requirement of A-Levels would be fair though, too many factors can stop young people from being able to undertake them when they're freely available.”

Ben Dodsworth, Referencing Executive

“In my opinion, qualifications do not equal and are no replacement for experience and intelligence - I think the industry would lose a lot of decent people going forward if A-Levels became a standardised requirement.”

Maggie Simons, Quality & Development Coach

“I do agree that [letting agents] should have some sort of qualification, but then this could open the floodgates to other positions of a similar nature requiring the same and causing an issue with people obtaining work.

I have worked in both criminal defence and conveyancing solicitors offices handling similar legal stuff and although this was overseen by the solicitor, I had no formal training or qualifications but was regularly called upon to complete complex legally binding situations/documents with next to no input from anyone qualified.”

Ollie West, Customer Success Manager

“The proposed Regulation of Property Agents Working Group (RoPA) has been in the works for some time, and this to me is a logical move towards professionalising the industry and in the interest of all parties - agents, landlords and tenants.

Speaking as someone who has both sat Propertymark exams and A-levels, I can say with confidence how the Propertymark course unequivocally benefited myself, the business I worked for and our customers throughout my career...I cannot say the same however for my Media Studies qualification...”.   

Costas Frangeskou, Director of Growth

“Numerous successful people don't have A-levels or even ‘good’ GCSE grades. By suggesting that letting agents need a form of qualification, like A-levels, provide a scoring system from a point in time in the past that is also based on an individual's lifestyle or environment that isn't representative of who they are now or in the future.

Surely assessing someone based on their current ability today and for the future, which things like RoPA are looking to achieve, is the best and only way forward.

Lord Alan Sugar has one GCSE, does that mean he should be expelled from the House of Lords?”

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