A Quakers Hill local is proving it’s never too late to upskill, having kickstarted his transition to the booming property valuation industry thanks to TAFE NSW. 

According to a report by IbisWorld, the property valuation industry is worth $586m in Australia annually and this figure is projected to grow over the next five years.  

42-year-old Matthew Regan says now is the right time to join the industry, as more and more Australians take advantage of record low interest rates. 

“I enrolled in Bachelor of Property Valuation at TAFE NSW Ultimo as I was looking to add to the skills which I’ve gained working in the banking and finance industry. Property is an area I’ve always been interested in, and I decided it was now or never,” Mr Regan said. 

“The Bachelor’s degree has been incredibly useful in my current role as a credit lending manager, and I’ve progressed to a Master of Valuation and Property Development so I can work in the valuation and property industry for years to come. 

“I’d also love to combine my property, finance, and valuation skills one day and become an urban planner as well. Applying all of the knowledge I’ve gained at work and in the classroom over the years to help shape local communities would be so rewarding.”

TAFE NSW Property Valuation Teacher Jon Frost, who has more than 20 years’ experience as a valuer, said the industry is crying out for skilled graduates.  

“Property valuation is a great industry to get into and about 80 per cent of graduates are working in the industry by the time they finish the degree. I get valuing firms coming to me regularly looking for students to recruit,” Mr Frost said.  

“It really is a fabulous job; you’re not stuck in an office, you’re out and about meeting people and there’s so much variety in the day-to-day work. The industry has an ageing workforce, so there’s never been a better time for people to study at TAFE NSW to get the skills they need for an in-demand job.”   

The degree is three years’ full-time and requires 24 units of study, including units in rural, commercial, and retail valuation, as well as law and town planning. It includes a mix of face-to-face and online learning connected classroom study.   

The Bachelor of Property Valuation is Australia’s only specialist property valuation degree and has been developed in consultation with the Australian Property Institute.    

To find out more about studying a Bachelor of Property Valuation at TAFE NSW, phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au.   

Media contact: Emma Woodward, Communications Specialist, emma.woodward15@tafensw.edu.au, 0409 618 291