Why real estate and planning professionals influence all our lives for the better

Professor Eamonn D’Arcy

Professor of International Real Estate, Co-Head Department of Real Estate and Planning, Head of Postgraduate Programmes, Henley Business School, University of Reading

Angela Cropley

Associate Professor, Rural Studies, Henley Business School, University of Reading

Christopher Maidment

Lecturer in Planning and Director of Planning Programmes, Henley Business School, University of Reading

Real estate and planning professionals have the potential to positively influence the lives of countless individuals on a daily basis.

Real estate and planning professionals are in a lucky position, says Professor Eamonn D’Arcy. When they go to work, they know they’re making a valuable and tangible impact on the world. That’s very satisfying.

Essential roles of real estate and planning professionals

Yet, the public often doesn’t understand what these highly trained professionals actually do. Real estate professionals buy and sell property, lease space to tenants, carry out valuations and market analysis, while also advising clients on a wide range of real estate activities such as asset management, real estate finance and strategic rural land management. Planners, meanwhile, are adept at devising and interpreting plans and policies, assessing sites and proposals, negotiating with stakeholders and engaging with communities, all with the aim of making better places.

“The work of real estate and planning professionals shouldn’t be underestimated,” insists D’Arcy, Professor of International Real Estate, Co-Head Department of Real Estate and Planning, Head of Postgraduate Programmes, Henley Business School, University of Reading.

“They contribute to the wellbeing of society through the development of places where people live, work and play. They shape land uses at local, regional and global scales to meet future needs of communities and businesses. They provide financial analysis and investment advice on real estate — the world’s largest asset class.”

Diverse career paths

Despite the stimulating nature of this work, some areas of the profession are crying out for qualified people. “The rural real estate sector is a case in point,” says Angela Cropley, Associate Professor, Rural Studies. The firms that employ rural graduates — are struggling to find well-qualified rural people with potential to become rural valuers. So, there’s a gap that needs filling.”

The career paths on offer are very diverse. Many of Henley’s real estate graduates find roles with major professional service firms, developers and investors specialising in commercial and residential real estate, including growing real estate sectors such as data centres and life sciences. “Around 50% of planners are still employed in the public sector. As well as local government, planning graduates can go on to work for regeneration agencies, central government, consultancies, developers and charitable organisations such as the National Trust,” says Christopher Maidment, Lecturer in Planning and Director of Planning Programmes.

They contribute to the wellbeing of
society through the development of
places where people live, work and play.

Change brings new opportunities

Cropley describes real estate and planning as the ultimate ‘people skills professions’ because they need enthusiastic team players and networkers who are good at client interaction. Inevitably, their activities — and the demand for their services — are changing in response to new opportunities created by global mega-trends such as climate change and technological innovations.

“Planners are writing and implementing policies that aim to embed sustainability and push forward better placemaking with, for example, a focus on net zero carbon, higher quality design and the circular economy,” says Maidment. Professor D’Arcy notes that the sustainability agenda is changing the real estate profession, too. “Simple valuations incorporate sustainability information, and that’s before you get to green leases, green finance and the world of real estate investing, which has been transformed by environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics and the demand for ‘green buildings.’ Technological change is also having profound effects on how we use physical spaces. For example, our homes have also become our places of work.’

A world-class real estate and planning education

Since 1968, the Department of Real Estate and Planning at Henley Business School has offered a world-class industry-focused education for students embarking on careers in the real estate and planning professions. Its suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). They are also supported by a global alumni network of 12,000 real estate and planning professionals through the Reading Real Estate Foundation (RREF).