Ever since I decided to pursue a career in property, I was looking forward to joining the workforce and gaining practical, on-the-job experience and a taste for what my career might by like.

Luckily, as part of my degree in Property Economics in Technological University Dublin, we are given the opportunity to complete a 14-week internship to apply the theory we learned in college to real life scenarios. I was delighted when I offered a place on Savills Placement Programme.

I began my internship in Savills on the Professional Services team in January once all my college exams were complete. Spending time with the Professional Services team has been extremely valuable to my studies as it has allowed me to apply the theoretical valuation skills we have been taught in college to different property types. This experience has given me a great insight into the property industry and the type of work I will be doing when I graduate college.

The team is responsible for providing accurate and well-informed valuations of commercial and residential property to banks and building societies, property companies, developers, investors, and fund managers. It has been great to collaborate with my colleagues on the team, engaging in various facets of the department. My focus during my internship so far has been valuing and pricing PRS schemes, hotels and various other commercial properties. The opportunity has allowed me to improve many skills such as my communication skills by calling other agencies for comparisons and collaborating on instructions with other surveyors. 

Being actively engaged on numerous projects has been an incredibly rewarding experience. From valuing funds for investors, going out on inspections to properties throughout the city and being actively involved in the inspections by taking notes, asking questions and taking up to date pictures of the properties for our valuation reports and compiling statutory enquiries such as lease summaries to support our reports.

One of the most enjoyable parts of my time on the team has been the variety of each day. One day I could be out at an industrial site taking pictures, in brand new apartments writing notes to use in our valuations, or in the office learning new ways of analysing a valuation. The team are so supportive and preach that “no question is a silly question.” They all want to see you progress as a surveyor. This has helped me learn so much about the industry since joining them and helped me settle into the team seamlessly. 

Since I have been with Savills, I’ve noticed how they emphasise celebrating the wins and socialising with your peers. Whether it is going for few pints with the graduates to Kehoe’s after work, ‘TGI Thursdays’ where I have met many other colleagues from across the company or Lunch and Learns. They also make an effort to mark special occasions such as the Promotions Party and Pancake Tuesday which we celebrated in the office with food and drinks. 

Working in Professional Services has been extremely rewarding as I have the opportunity to grow my knowledge of the industry, work in a professional environment and expand my network. I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity provided to me by both Savills and Technological University Dublin, and eagerly anticipate my future in the property industry!