CMACERT is it worth it?

FAYE500

Hi all, my first post here so play nice :-)


Hopefully by next week I should be CeMAP qualified as I have my final exam. My Open University are suggesting I take the CeRER or CMAcert qualification after this. Is this worth it? CMAcert is £800 alone!


I'm very new to all this. I really want to become a mortgage adviser and I want to work for a bank or estate agents but I feel because I have zero experience and no sales experience I will never get into anywhere. Will these qualifications help? I'm currently working at an engineering company doing document control and workloads are low so I tend to do abit of studying a work which is ideal.


I know I could go into a trainee role but as a single mom with a mortgage of my own it will be hard to take a low salary. I'm currently on £24,000 and need to stick to this.


Could somebody point me in the right direction?


Thanks
Faye

ACG

You WANT to work for an estate agent?! Give it 6 months and I reckon you will change your mind.

The equity release exam is a different part of the job, if you want to do equity release, go for it. If not then dont bother. I do not think you will get many equity release enquiries working in a bank or estate agents.

As for CMAcert, I have just had to read up on that as I had no idea what it was. I could be wrong but CAS comes from experience, I am struggling to see how you can get CAS in a classroom. Personally I would save your money and get on with doing the job and learning from it.

Will a bank or estate agent really pay you £24k plus as a new starter? I worked for a bank 4-5 years ago and I was on about £20k and I had a years experience. Most new starters were on about £17-18k back then.

kingstreet

Achieving CAS is based on a scheduled series of supervised sales demonstrations and observed sales.

Conduct in the interviews and post-sales compliance documentation are marked and once considered acceptable mean you will be signed-off to "fly solo."

Once that is granted, most supervisors will wish to check a reducing percentage of your cases as time passes.

Lilla_D

I started at an estate agent with zero experience, fresh from my CeMaps. It was hard and I didn't like that I was encouraged to use lenders from a limited preferred panel, so I often ventured onto the wider panel of lenders just so I could get more experience. And I left as soon as I could to an independent brokerage. I think I'd have gone mad at a bank being confined to their criteria alone.

ACG's earning figures still stand, as I'm currently looking to hire someone and having looked at various adverts and spoken to various recruiters, the above are still the going rates. Getting £24k basic as a newbie is a tall ask...

butters_86

Most banks/building societies are desperate for mortgage advisers. Here in Yorkshire, there are two building societies on the look out for new advisers both paying £25k+.

As a previous adviser they are good place to start and gain an understanding of how all things work. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do

dunstonh

You often have to start out the career path in an undesirable way. Estate agents, banks, building societies etc. You do your time with them. Get experience and some clients potentially before progressing your career beyond them.

ManishaB

Hi,

I saw your forum, just wondering if you are still looking to hire someone?

amnblog

This CMAcert sounds like trying to replace build experience with another academic process to earn the course provider a few extra quid.

I think I would prefer to work with a candidate who has not had their heads filled with nonsense.

As regards getting a start Faye. Perhaps you could find a Brokerage where you could work part time to get some experience whilst topping up your income with another part time job.

£2,000 a month for someone who’s only asset is CeMap seems a tad expensive. The qualification is 5% of the job.