Career change as a real estate clerk
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 5 with on-the-job training and 3 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Head of property management
Also: Department head at a housing company
With on-the-job trainingPromotion
As head of a property management department or branch you lead a team, are responsible for the property and customer portfolio, and manage processes, software and quality.
- What you bring:
- You know owners, tenants, prospective buyers and service providers, and you know how real estate deals work in everyday practice.
- How to get there:
- This is usually an internal promotion after a few years, often starting as team leader. Alongside your job, the further training course for certified senior real estate specialist (Immobilienfachwirt) strengthens your application and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). To be admitted, you need work experience in the real estate industry: one year if you are a real estate clerk (Immobilienkaufmann), two years with other three-year commercial vocational training (Ausbildung), three years with other training, and five years without a qualification.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office -
Prefab home adviser
Also: Sales representative at a property developer
With on-the-job training
As a specialist adviser for a prefab home manufacturer or property developer you present houses and apartments, plan the floor plan and fittings with the home buyers and support them up to the signing of the contract.
- What you bring:
- You know how people make decisions about buying a home, you advise prospective customers and you guide conversations through to the contract.
- How to get there:
- The manufacturer or developer gives you on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) on construction methods, fittings and contracts, usually lasting a few weeks. Prefab home advisers often work as self-employed commercial agents in show home parks, and weekend work is part of the job.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€4,456gross per monthMedian salary
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Relocation consultant
Also: Relocation manager
With on-the-job training
You know the housing market, viewings, rental contracts and handovers, and you know what landlords pay attention to. As a relocation consultant you help skilled workers who are moving here from abroad or from another city with finding housing, dealing with authorities, finding a school and settling in during the first weeks.
- How to get there:
- You start at a relocation agency with a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), often working on behalf of large employers. Good English is required, and other languages help. You may work as an employee, freelance or part-time, and demand depends strongly on the economy and on international hiring.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€4,238gross per monthMedian salary
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Housing benefit clerk
With on-the-job training
In the housing benefit office (Wohngeldstelle) of a city or district you check applications for rent subsidy or housing cost subsidy, calculate entitlements according to the legal rules and advise applicants.
- What you bring:
- From hands-on experience you know rental contracts, service charges, rent increases and the situation of low-income households.
- How to get there:
- Municipalities hire administrative specialists (Verwaltungsfachangestellte) for this work, but also employees with commercial or real estate training, and they give them several weeks to a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You can often make up the administrative qualification alongside your job through an administrative course for employees (Angestelltenlehrgang) at an administration school.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office€3,964gross per monthMedian salary
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Real estate accountant
Also: Financial accountant
With on-the-job training
In the accounting department of a housing company or real estate fund you post rents and invoices, keep the property accounts and help with closings and statements.
- What you bring:
- You know rent accounts, service charges, reserves and utility bill statements, and you work carefully with figures.
- How to get there:
- Take a financial accounting course at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or a training provider. It usually takes a few months and can be done alongside a job. You also get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the software. With three-year commercial vocational training (Ausbildung), you are later admitted directly to the further training course for certified balance sheet accountant (Bilanzbuchhalter). This makes sense after a few years of accounting experience.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€4,010gross per monthMedian salary
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Real estate expert
Also: Real estate appraiser
With further trainingPromotion
As an expert you determine the market value of houses, apartments and plots, for example for inheritances, divorces, banks or courts, and write expert reports that people can understand.
- What you bring:
- You know locations, rents and purchase prices in your region and regularly assess properties when brokering or managing them.
- How to get there:
- Alongside your job, you can take courses in real estate valuation at academies and chambers. They usually take several months to about a year and often end with a personal certification. The title real estate expert (Immobiliengutachter) is not protected. For a public appointment by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), you need special expertise and several years of experience. Banks and courts prefer certified or publicly appointed experts.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light -
Mortgage finance adviser
Also: Real estate loan intermediary
With further training
As a mortgage finance adviser you work out with customers what they can afford, compare loans from different banks and guide the application through to approval.
- What you bring:
- You accompany prospective buyers up to the notary appointment and know that purchases can depend on financing.
- How to get there:
- To arrange real estate loans for consumers on a self-employed basis, you need a permit under § 34i of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). The required expertise is already recognized if you are a qualified real estate clerk (Immobilienkaufmann) or certified senior real estate specialist (Immobilienfachwirt). Otherwise you take the expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) after a preparation course of a few weeks. You also need this proof of expertise as an employee of an intermediary. Banks that are not subject to this permit requirement train their advisers according to their own rules.*Regulated by law (§ 34i Trade Regulation Act (GewO), Real Estate Loan Intermediary Ordinance (ImmVermV) § 4).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office -
Property insurance broker
Also: Insurance agent
With further training
As an insurance intermediary you advise owners, landlords and property managers on how to protect buildings, arrange suitable contracts and support them when claims arise.
- What you bring:
- You know building insurance, liability questions and claims involving real estate, and you win customers through personal conversation.
- How to get there:
- To sell insurance you need to pass the expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Preparation courses take a few weeks. If you are self-employed, you also need a permit from the IHK and professional liability insurance. As a tied agent of one insurer you do not need your own permit, but the company usually requires the same exam. After that, you must complete 15 hours of further training per calendar year.*Regulated by law (§ 34d Trade Regulation Act (GewO), Insurance Intermediary Ordinance (VersVermV)).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€4,797gross per monthMedian salary
Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as a real estate clerk without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Head of property management, Prefab home adviser, Relocation consultant, Housing benefit clerk and Real estate accountant.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a real estate clerk?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Real estate expert, Mortgage finance adviser and Property insurance broker.
What promotion options do I have as a real estate clerk?
Promotions include, for example: Head of property management and Real estate expert.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Property insurance broker (€4,797 gross per month), Prefab home adviser (€4,456 gross per month) and Relocation consultant (€4,238 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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