Career change as a real estate agent

Career change paths

• 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
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• 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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• Recruitment consultant in temporary agency work

  Also: Recruiter

  With on-the-job training

  As a recruitment consultant, you win companies as customers, search for suitable applicants, hold interviews and support assignments.

  What you bring:

  You approach people actively, recognize needs, can sell offers and maintain customer relationships over years.

  How to get there:

  Temporary work agencies and recruitment firms like to hire sales professionals from insurance and train them for a few weeks. A recognized qualification comes from training as a personnel services clerk (Personaldienstleistungskaufmann/Personaldienstleistungskauffrau). After some years in HR work, you can take the upgrading course for certified HR specialist (Geprüfter Personalfachkaufmann/Personalfachkauffrau, IHK).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,046gross per monthMedian salary

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• Sales trainer

  Also: Trainer in brokerage training

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a trainer at an insurer or training provider, you train new talent, prepare them for the expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) and train brokers in products, advice and sales.

  What you bring:

  You know advisory conversations, needs analysis and handling of objections from practice and can demonstrate them to others.

  How to get there:

  Insurers and training providers of the industry fill trainer positions with experienced brokers or managers and train them. The trainer aptitude exam (Ausbildereignung, AEVO) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and a trainer course of a few months improve your chances. You can work freelance as a trainer, and permanent positions exist mainly in the academies of large insurers.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,254gross 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
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• 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
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• Head of an insurance agency

  Also: Head of sales in insurance field service

  With further trainingPromotion

  As agency or sales manager, you lead a team of insurance brokers or an agency of your own, plan targets, recruit and train new talent and look after important customers.

  What you bring:

  You know insurance products, advice, sales and looking after a customer base from practice.

  How to get there:

  You take the upgrading course for Bachelor Professional in Insurance and Financial Investments (Bachelor Professional in Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen, IHK), formerly certified senior specialist for insurance and finance (Fachwirt für Versicherungen und Finanzen). You can take it alongside work, it is eligible for funding through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications), and the duration depends on the provider. With a qualification as an insurance and financial investment clerk (Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen), you are admitted directly. With another training occupation, you are admitted after one year of practice, as a certified insurance brokerage specialist (Geprüfter Fachmann/Fachfrau für Versicherungsvermittlung) after 2 years, otherwise after 5 years of work practice.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €8,030gross per monthMedian salary

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• Financial investment adviser

  Also: Fee-based financial investment adviser

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a financial investment adviser, you also advise on investment funds and other investments, create provision and investment concepts and look after customer assets over years.

  What you bring:

  You advise customers on protection and retirement provision and know advice documentation and liability risks from brokerage.

  How to get there:

  For commercial brokerage of financial investments, you need a permit under § 34f GewO with an expertise exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), and the length of preparation courses depends on the provider. Among others, insurance and financial investment clerks, the certified senior specialist for insurance and finance (Fachwirt für Versicherungen und Finanzen) and its successor, the Bachelor Professional in Insurance and Financial Investments (Bachelor Professional in Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen), are treated as equivalent and so are exempt from the exam. With the older training as an insurance and finance clerk, this only applies to the financial advice track.*Regulated by law (Trade Regulation Act (GewO) §§ 34f, 34h; Financial Investment Brokerage Ordinance (FinVermV) § 4).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people
  View job

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.