Interest in the real estate market has perhaps never been higher among Australians, and a new learning initiative is making it easier than ever for Bega residents to get qualified to work in the property industry.
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TAFE NSW has announced an expansion of higher education study options at TAFE NSW Bega, which will provide opportunities for more South Coast students to study a Bachelor of Property Valuation, amid reports of high demand in the region for qualified property professionals.
For the first time, Bachelor of Property Valuation students will be able to study from a Connected Learning Centre at Bega, allowing students who prefer to study in a campus environment or have poor internet services at home to join daily live lectures and online site visits from the campus.
Recently, land valuation has been one of the hottest topics on the lips of Bega residences, some of which saw their land values double and even triple in the recent valuations from the NSW Valuer General.
Two recent graduates of the TAFE NSW course, Jed Davis and Lachlan Boyd said they had seen interest in the bachelor's degree grow rapidly.
"I think when I started my course, there was only 20-30 people," Lachlan Boyd, 26, said.
"But by my third year, I was seeing the years behind us and it looked like every class was filling up more and more.
Mr Davis, who is based at Sussex Inlet, said the degree would put graduates on a fast-track towards a great career.
"I absolutely loved the course and my job, which I got just six days after my last exam," he said.
Mr Boyd believed there were a couple of key reasons why so many Australians wanted to discuss the property market and consume media coverage related to it.
"Firstly, a lot of people want to be in the market, they want to get their foot in the door, so if you study the market and listen to what's happening, it'd give you a better idea of how to get into the market," he said.
"And it's their biggest asset, so they want to know what's happening if they're going to be paying for a million dollars for a house and land package these days."
Mr Boyd completed a Bachelor of Property Valuation at Ultimo TAFE, and for the past 18 months has been working as a graduate valuer for property valuation firm Walsh and Monaghan at their Mittagong office.
"Initially I really wanted to be in the property-related field," he said.
"I didn't want to do sales, so I did some research and valuation really stuck out to me."
Walsh and Monaghan's business manager Kara Duncan said it was exciting to have the opportunity of recruiting Bega-district graduates in the future, at a time when the company was working to employ more graduates at every stage of their career.
"One of our biggest challenges is finding the right people," she said.
We've recently employed three TAFE NSW graduates and we're looking for more people - with two positions to fill now at Merimbula - so it's great to hear that more local people will be trained to help fill vacancies
- Kara Duncan
Ms Duncan said valuation was a suitable way of getting into the property industry. She said there had been a skill shortage in this area in the past.
"Being an agent isn't for everybody," she said. "So this is a way that you get to do all of that and see some amazing properties, and get to travel the countryside.
"We do the mass valuations through to specialised valuations. We do everything from caravan parks to hotels to commercial and industrial.
"It's a rewarding career with longevity. They can travel the world doing property valuation."
Ms Duncan said the property market has gone through an "incredible journey" over the past three to four years.
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"Recently a lot of people have been surprised by the valuation of their properties, which have increased a great deal over the past three to four years as the market has boomed.
"So I think people are now more aware of their land value, or their property value, because they've seen them increase over the past three to four years. So for some people it was a shock to see just how much they had increased."
The three-year Bachelor of Property Valuation degree is currently enrolling in Bega, set to start at the end of July.
The course is taught live online every weekday morning, with students participating from home or at Connected Learning Centres.
CLC access will be offered from TAFE NSW Bega in semester two from July 24, 2023.
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Sam Armes
Journalist reporting for the Bega District News and surrounds. Reach out about potential stories at sam.armes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Journalist reporting for the Bega District News and surrounds. Reach out about potential stories at sam.armes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
