Gemma German, 31, associate partner, Drivers Jonas

“I studied valuation and estate management at university before starting work as a surveyor and commercial property agent. My job is advising clients on the acquisition and disposal of commercial prem-ises in the City.

“The first part of this involves finding premises for clients who want to rent office space in the City. This could range from a suite of 1,000 sq ft (93 sq m) — enough room for about ten people — to an entire building of hundreds of thousands of square feet that can accommodate a multinational organisation.

“The other part, disposal, means advising clients, mostly landlords, how they can let vacant accommodation efficiently and on the best possible terms. At the moment I am trying to find a tenant for offices that haven’t been built yet. The developers have secured land and planning permission but construction won’t start until there’s a tenant on board. In cases like this it’s about selling the scheme and the location.

“I start my day at about 8.15am by reviewing my diary and preparing for client meetings and property viewings. I also use this time to ring my clients and update them on the latest news and the state of the market.

“A large part of my job is advising on client strategy, which involves reporting on market conditions such as supply and demand of properties; marketing initiatives; and disposal options for their property — for example, do they want to sublet it, assign it or surrender it to the landlord.

“I also pitch for new business. I have to demonstrate our company’s capabilities and show potential clients why they should work with us. This can involve anything from a half-hour meeting to a process that can stretch over weeks and require me to prepare a written report before we’re even asked to come to their offices.

“I spend most of my day out of the office. I spend a lot of time walking between meetings, which can be expensive in shoe leather. I return late in the afternoon or early evening to update clients and respond to new requirements that have come up during the day. It’s often the only time I have to get my paperwork done because it’s the only time I’m sitting at my desk.

“I tend to get home around 7pm and you might think that I’d have had enough of prop-erty by then, but my house is up for sale at the moment so the first thing I do is get on the internet and take a look at what’s happening in the residential property market.”

www.driversjonas.com

A SECOND OPINION

Alison Comiskey, 29, residential lettings agent, Foxtons

“When I joined Foxtons I didn’t have a background in property – I wasn’t even all that interested in it – but at heart this is a sales job that offers an opportunity to learn about the property market. What really interested me when I joined up was the uncapped earning potential and the fact that I take complete responsibility for my own day and my own achievements.

“Our offices are open 8am to 8pm five days a week and 9am to 5pm on weekends, but I tend to get in around 6 or 6.30am and I often work every day. It’s not something that I have to do but I make myself available at all hours because the people who rent accommodation from us are investment bankers, doctors and other busy people. I can’t tell them that they can come in to see properties only during office hours; it’s my job to be there when they need me. I’ve shown properties at 6am and helped other clients by collecting them from their offices at midnight and settling them into their new homes.

“At the same time, because I work on commission, it’s up to me to decide how to manage my workload, so if I want to take time off to go away for the weekend, I do.

“My office in Sloane Square, in West London, does both short and long-term lets, which means that I can be negotiating with someone in the morning and helping them to move in that afternoon. The quicker I can help people the more I can do and the quicker I can earn money. It also suits the applicants, because it means that they can have their accommodation organised fast and efficiently.

“One of the great things about this job is that I’m not stuck in the office. I spend most of the day out and about, whether that’s getting new keys cut, organising a gas safety certificate, meeting clients or doing something deeply unglamorous – but obviously important – such as unclogging a lavatory. I’ll do whatever it takes to facilitate things for my clients.”

www.foxtons.co.uk

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