I am currently a third-year student studying Economics and Social Justice in University College Dublin. When the time came to apply for internships, I chose to look for a placement opportunity within the property sector. I have always had a keen interest in property, and I knew it would be of benefit to gain some experience in this sector before completing my degree and looking for graduate programmes. I applied to Savills as I recognised Savills for having a huge international presence within the property sector, from commercial to residential and everything in between. The specific department that I interviewed for within Savills was New Homes. In the interview I met with one of the Divisional Directors of the team and I was very impressed and intrigued by the work that they do. Fortunately, I was successful in my interview, and I began working here in January.

Initially I was trying to take everything in and get a grasp of how the new homes market operates. I quickly learned that there are multiple different developments across Dublin, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Kildare, and Westmeath. Each member of the team is responsible for specific developments in these areas and there is a lot of collaboration across the team. Our clients are the developers and through our long-standing relationship with some of Ireland’s most successful developers, we are appointed to these developments as the selling agents. Due to the size of these developments, there are hundreds of properties for sale in each location so to make sales quick and efficient we launch the homes in phases, releasing a section of homes each time.

Typically, my day consists of contacting potential purchasers and providing them with all the information needed when buying a new home. Many of our purchasers are first time buyers so it is important to provide them with the necessary steps when reserving a house as it is a new and unfamiliar process to them. Due to the busy nature of the New Homes, we often have a launch at the end of the week. Key tasks for me at the launches are greeting the potential purchasers and answering any queries they may have. In the days following a launch I will help draft the necessary documents required when booking the home such as the deposit receipts and the documents required by solicitors. During the closing stages, the contracts are sent out and I am responsible for following up with our buyers for contract signatures and helping them along in the process.

Before coming to Savills, I wasn’t aware of all the detailed steps that went into each sale but everyone on the team made a big effort to bring me up to date with the current market and are always ready to answer any questions I have. I absolutely recommend the Savills Placement Programme to anyone with an interest in property as I know it will provide an excellent insight into the world of property.