What does the day-to-day work of real estate trustees with a federal diploma look like?

Real estate trustees are professional providers of a wide range of services in the real estate industry. They work in real estate offices or administrations of all sizes, where they usually have a management function. They can also work independently in their own company.

With their broad specialist knowledge and skills in real estate, business administration, finance, law, marketing and personnel management, real estate trustees are often referred to as "all-rounders in the real estate sector". In their advisory and expert role, they deal comprehensively with the questions, concerns, wishes and needs of their clients. These can be individuals, foundations, companies or entire groups of people, such as communities of heirs.

The main tasks of real estate trustees include the management, valuation and marketing of all types of real estate, for example residential and commercial properties, condominiums, commercial buildings, hotels, villas, etc.

Real estate trustees clarify tax, legal, financial and insurance issues with the relevant authorities and carry out valuations and appraisals of properties. They are responsible for drawing up contracts, rental documents, reports and completing applications for approval from the authorities. Real estate trustees assess the necessity of maintenance measures or the need to refurbish and renovate buildings and oversee their implementation. They also take care of damage reports and monitor the costs. Furthermore, they advise their clients on the marketing of investment properties. To this end, they conduct market research to keep abreast of developments on the real estate market.

The most important activities of real estate trustees at a glance:

• Real estate management and brokerage
• Appraisal and valuation of real estate
• Buying and selling real estate
• Real estate marketing
• Concept development for corporate management
• Management of projects, teams or departments
• Market research and collection of industry-relevant data

Target group and skills: Who is the Higher Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees with a Federal Diploma suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The course and the higher professional examination "Real Estate Trustee" are suitable for

• for real estate professionals with a federal certificate (any specialization: management, marketing, valuation or development) with several years of full-time professional experience in a profession* in the real estate industry who aspire to a management position or would like to take the step into self-employment.
• Determined professionals with a federal diploma of a higher professional examination or a degree from a higher technical college (HF) or university or with an equivalent qualification as well as several years of professional experience in the real estate industry who would like to improve their career opportunities.
• Experienced practitioners who are thinking about starting their own business in the real estate sector.
• Ambitious professionals who hold a management position and would like to expand their skills and obtain a federal diploma.

* A list of activities that are recognized as professional experience in the real estate industry can be found at the responsible examination secretariat SFPKIW.

Real estate trustees should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• analytical and networked thinking
• confident handling of numbers
• quick comprehension
• Flexibility and resilience
• Independent and reliable way of working
• Sense of responsibility
• Customer and service orientation
• Confident and professional demeanor
• Organizational skills
• Communication and negotiation skills
• Team and conflict management skills

Requirements for admission to the Higher Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees:

In order to be able to take the Advanced Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees, you must, in accordance with the examination regulations, be registered by the date of the examination:

• Have a federal certificate in real estate management (specializations: management, marketing, valuation, development), a federal diploma or a degree from a higher technical college (HF) or university.

And

• Have at least three years* of full-time professional experience** in the real estate industry, two of which must have been gained in Switzerland.

Or

• At least five years of full-time professional experience in a profession in the real estate industry, including at least two years in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein.

And

• Have no entries in the criminal record that contradict the purpose of the examination.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the higher specialist examination at least four months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of a rejection.

Note: Some schools are also prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the Higher Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/application for the examination. At some schools, it is also possible to attend the course without the intention of taking an examination. The admission requirements vary depending on the provider.

* Proof of professional experience of at least three years relates to a 100% workload and is taken into account "pro rata" for partial workloads. Self-employed persons must enclose additional documents with the application for admission (e.g. VAT number or extract from the commercial register, meaningful references from contractors and/or clients, etc.)

** The responsible examination secretariat, the Swiss Professional Examination Board SFPKIW, maintains a list of activities that are recognized as a profession in the real estate industry.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter and subjects taught in the preparatory courses for the Higher Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees are based on the requirements of the sponsors of the federal examination, the Swiss Association of the Real Estate Industry SVIT Switzerland and the Union suisse des professionnels de l'immobilier USPI Suisse.

The course material covers five main topics, which cover the knowledge and skills required for the higher professional examination:

1. Corporate management: human resources management, financial management, legal management, corporate marketing
2. Real estate management: insurance, rental agreement, tenancy law
3. Real estate marketing: marketing concept, marketing activities, property sales, real estate marketing
4. Real estate valuation: valuation basis, valuation methods, valuation objects
5. Real estate fiduciary: client advice on legal and financial issues, portfolio management

Note: Holders of a federal certificate in real estate management (specializations: management, marketing, valuation, development) may be exempted from individual parts of the examination. Binding information can be obtained from the Swiss Examination Board SFPKIW.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the provider. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2- to 3-semester in-service training to become a real estate trustee:

• Course fees: between CHF 14,000 and CHF 15,500. After the examination, you will receive up to 50% of this amount back from the federal government upon application (regardless of the result).* If you are a member of the Swiss Real Estate Association (SVIT), you will benefit from reduced conditions (CHF 13,200). Temporary employees also have the opportunity to apply for financial support for this course from "temptraining", the further training fund for the temporary employment sector.
• Examination fee: Candidates pay the examination fee of CHF 3,200 once admission has been confirmed. Note: If exemptions have been granted (at least 1 examination part), the examination fee is reduced by a flat rate of CHF 500.
• Some providers charge extra for teaching materials (printed and electronic), training documents and simulation tests. Find out directly from the provider of your choice what additional costs you can expect.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses are therefore reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• The further training to become a real estate trustee has a modular structure and lasts 2 to 3 semesters.
• The course comprises between 394 and 420 lessons, which usually take place on two evenings per week or on one afternoon plus one evening per week.
• Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with your family, career and free time.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

The Higher Professional Examination for Real Estate Trustees is held annually in German, French and Italian if at least 25 candidates (German language), 8 candidates (French language) and 3 candidates (Italian language) meet the admission requirements.

The federal examination consists of a total of nine parts, which are tested as follows:

Written examinations:

The written examinations test specialist skills by means of practically relevant content, which is tested in the form of case studies, among other things.

1. Corporate management: 4 hours, written (weighting 2)
2. Real estate management: 2 hours, written (weighting 1)
3. Real estate marketing: 2 hours, written (weighting 1)
4. Real estate valuation: 4 hours, written (weighting 1)
5. Real estate fiduciary: 4 hours, written (weighting 2)

Oral examinations:

The oral examinations focus on testing social and methodological skills. In expert discussions, the candidates are confronted with a practical case, which is then the subject of the technical discussion.

1. Real estate fiduciary: 30 minutes, oral (weighting 1)
2. Corporate management: 30 minutes, oral (weighting 1)

Diploma thesis:

In the diploma thesis, candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and networked thinking. The thesis should be written on a practical topic, preferably from the candidate's own company. The thesis must meet the formal requirements regarding scope, structure and content, which are set out in guidelines issued by the examination board.

1. Diploma thesis: prepared in advance, written (weighting 1)
2. Presentation of the diploma thesis: 45 minutes (15 minutes presentation, 30 minutes expert discussion), oral (weighting 1)

Diploma and title:

Graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Real Estate Trustee".

In French: "Administratrice diplômée de biens immobiliers / Administrateur diplômé de biens immobiliers"

In Italian: "Fiduciaria immobiliare diplomata / Fiduciario immobiliare diplomato"

In English: "Property Fiduciary with Advanced Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training"