AS her latest customer signs on the dotted line, Charlie Vosper feels a rush of excitement as she adds up how much commission she’ll get.
The mum-of-three, 36, who lives in Chislehurst, Kent, easily makes between £4,000 and £4,500 a month working in a job no-one wants to do and she started at just 17 with no qualifications. 

Charlie Vosper earns £54,000 a year from being an estate agent – and loves her job Credit: Charlie Vosper

When she got her first pay check, she was thrilled she had enough money to spend on designer handbags and cars Credit: Charlie Vosper
Charlie is an estate agent, a profession which often gets a bad rep.
Many people think of estate agents as only being in it for the money. Just 32% of people think estate agents are trustworthy, according to Ipsos Veractiy Index.
That’s less than Private Landlords (34%) and the police (51%)
It may be no wonder, then, that 47% of estate agents were considering switching careers, according to a survey by employment data company Reed in 2023.

But Charlie disagrees – in fact, she loves her job, and despite the current market, wouldn’t consider doing anything else.
Starting out as a Saturday girl from the age of 15 in her local independent estate agent in Plumstead, south London, it was a natural move for her to begin working at the agency full time at 17 years old when she left school.
Charlie, who is mum to Darcy, nine, Teddy, six, and two-year-old Elsie, said: “I loved working there. I didn’t even consider going to college or university, it wasn’t even on my radar. Selling houses was all I wanted to do.”
With increasing responsibilities and a hunger for better opportunities Charlie moved to a high street agency with a bigger reach.

Charlie says: “I secured a position at Felicity J Lord when I was 21, I chose them as they had 16 branches all over London and more opportunity for career progression. 
“I was working across Canary Wharf, the financial district, and Blackheath, a desirable and affluent suburb, which are both highly priced areas.”
As a sales negotiator her basic salary was £13,500 and her commission was 5% of sales.
The agency charged the client 2% so a £10,000 fee was £500 commission.
Her ambition and tenacity saw her rise through the ranks quickly.
By the time Charlie was 23 she was promoted to Senior Sales Negotiator.
She said: “I am a natural sales person and out of the 52 sales negotiators who worked for the company I was ranked at number three – and I was the only woman in the top five.”
Her best month with commission was £12k before tax.

Charlie once earned a whopping £12k pay check for just one month’s worth of work Credit: Charlie Vosper
She said: “That particular month I exchanged on £80,000 company commission, no one had ever done that before.”

At that time, she was taking home between £3,000 and £3,500 a month – because it is commission based the figures aren’t consistent.
But when it was good, it was really good and that motivated Charlie to be the best she could be at her job.
She said: “I live and breathe it and I liked that I was able to afford nice things – a new car, designer handbags and eating out.”
Charlie, who has worked her way up to branch manager, says that the more you work the more you will earn, you just have to be prepared to put the work in.
She said: “Property is my passion and I absolutely love it but I do understand why it’s a profession that people may shy away from.
“It’s hard work, you have to have drive, put the hours in and be fully committed. 
“You have a work phone and I answer leads as soon as I’m up and before I go to bed. The rewards are endless if you just put the work in.
“The inconsistent pay might also not work for you, that is why you need to have passion for selling houses.” 
Charlie’s commitment even saw her dragging herself into work feeling worse for wear the day after the company Christmas party.It was the Saturday before Christmas and her colleagues decided to stay home.
Sitting in an empty agency Charlie closed five sales, just because she turned up for work.

Charlie, who is on a short career break and is looking forward to returning to property shortly, said: “The best commission I’ve made to date was working in Canary Wharf. 
“I sold a flat that was on the market for £1million. The fee was £35,000 and my commission was £1,750.”
And despite the fact a lot is being said about the current housing market being tough, Charlie says people are still buying and selling houses and the agents’ fees have remained the same.
So for her, not much has changed.
However, Charlie remembers the recession hitting in 2007, she said: “A week before the financial crash I was selling two bed houses in Plumstead, south London, for £215,000 and they sold quickly. 
“After the recession, the same houses were going on the market for £155,000. It was a bit tougher but I was still earning money.”
Charlie believes houses that stay on the market for too long are priced too high or there is a serious issue like subsidence – when the ground beneath a house sinks often during or after extreme weather.
Becoming an estate agent
To become an estate agent, you don’t need a degree and historically many people start straight from university, college or school.
Despite not needing any qualifications an A-C pass in English and maths GCSE will be favourable when applying.
Being an estate agent would suit someone who enjoys working with people and has a background in customer service, enjoys engaging with people and is highly-motivated.

A full UK driving licence is essential as you’ll need to be able to drive to viewings.
There are some courses you could do which could make you stand apart from everyone else for example there is a Level 2 Award in Residential Sales, an NVQ or diploma in Estate Agency or Customer Service.
And the average salary for junior/trainee agents is between £18,000 and £22,000 with commission potentially reaching £27,000 to £32,000.
Mid-level agents could earn between £30,000 and £45,000 with strong performers exceeding these figures.
Meanwhile, in high-end markets agents can earn £60,000 or more.
For career progression an RICS accredited property courses like surveying or valuations.

Other jobs that pay up to £65k that require NO degree

THE housing market isn’t the only sector that offers people the opportunity to earn well without the need for a degree.

According to Adzuna data IT salaries nationally are averaging at £66,000.
And train drivers have a starting apprenticeship salary of £24,000, which can rise to over £65,000. 
Meanwhile, a recruitment consultant can earn between £65,000 and £100,000.
According to the National Careers Service Air Traffic controllers can go in on a starting salary of £48,000 and with experience could rise to over £65,000.
Also working as an operative at MI5 where salaries can start at £26,000 going up to £65,000 plus with experience and responsibility.
A fire fighter can earn an average salary of £46,000, with the potential to reach £64,000.
Construction is an industry that continues to boom with a construction manager earning in the region of £63,200. 
While skilled plasterers and renderers are in high demand due to the fall in people going into the industry, they can command a fee of £600 for a day’s work.
And a lorry driver is set to earn in the region of £43,000, for this you will need a HGV license which you could get for free through government-funded schemes or by securing a employer-sponsored training program.
There are many varied options available with the skills you already have and there is plenty of information available about how to change direction and upskill.

Free grants to help you switch careers
Want to switch to another career but can’t afford to retrain? Luckily there’s help available.
There’s plenty of careers which let you earn on the job as an apprentice.
But if you can’t afford to take a pay cut, it’s worth researching what training you need, and fitting this in alongside your current job.
There’s schemes to help afford the cost of retraining.

You can get an Advanced Learner Loan from your college. You will have to pay this back though, and it works like a student loan for those over 19 years old.
What you can get isn’t based on income, but on the cost of the course. You start paying your loan back when you earn £21,000 or more.
You can also apply for grants and bursaries to help pay for courses and training – and you usually don’t have to pay this back.
For example, you can get an NHS bursary for medicine, dentistry or healthcare, or a social work bursary for social work.
Look at what help is available on the gov.uk website.
See if you can apply to a Skills Bootcamp hosted near you, which is run by the government.
These are free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks. Courses include HGV driving, health and social care, early years, business and administration, and digital skills like data engineering and software.
If you’re unemployed, Jobcentre Plus may be able to help provide funding or training as part of a return-to-work plan. Ask your local Job Centre Plus centre for more information.
There are charities who may be able to help with a grant that you don’t need to pay back.
For example, ABTA Lifeline helps people who worked in the travel industry get back into work with grants to help with the cost of interview clothes, IT, and travel.

Some Armed Forces charities offer grants if you are or were serving personnel, such as the Royal British Legion and poppyscotland (for those in Scotland).

Switching careers later in life: 5 power moves

LIS Herron, a careers adviser at the National Careers Service, shares her practical tips on how to change profession at any age.

Know yourself – Start with a self-assessment. Identify what excites you, your core values, and where you want to be long-term.
Spruce up your CV – Highlight transferable skills from your career, education, and life, and tailor your CV and cover letter to the role you want.
Learn something new – There are plenty of free and flexible training courses that could help boost your confidence and your skillset. From Skills Bootcamps to Essential Skills courses to improve your maths and English.  
Do your homework – Find out more about the role you’re interested in and research the skills you need. Check out the Skills for Life website to find out about the options available for you.

Talk it out – Speak to people already in roles you admire. For free, impartial careers advice, you can always call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 or use their webchat.