Viktoria Lindvall
EMEA Graduate Surveyor
"The culture enables you to use your own initiative, while being supported by experienced colleagues"
I joined the EMEA Graduate Programme in October in London working in the Property Valuation and Advisory Services team for a year. After my time in London, I will be rotating to two of Colliers’ EMEA offices for an additional year...
My first rotation is to Madrid’s Capital Market team, and then I will move to Paris for another six months working in the Agency & Corporate Solutions team.
My experience to-date at Colliers has been that the culture enables you to use your own initiative, while being supported by experienced colleagues. In the Valuations team I am going on property inspections, gathering comparable evidence on recent transactions, writing reports, and conducting the valuations of the properties under the guidance of the wider team.
I would recommend to anyone with an interest in real estate to apply to this EMEA Graduate Programme. Apart from getting the chance to work and live in two other countries, and the life experience that gives you, Colliers itself is a very welcoming and collaborative environment. Upon joining Colliers, I really felt invested-in by the comprehensive induction. The inductions were very well organised, and it was a great way to both get to know the organisation, as well as the other graduates.
I have also been provided with an APC counsellor who is here to support me on my journey to qualification. Colliers puts continuous effort into its EMEA Graduate Programmes and stands by their value to develop industry leaders.
I am excited to be part of this EMEA Graduate Programme and feel confident that it will help me to achieve a successful outcome to my APC qualification.
Alex Hugger
EMEA Graduate Surveyor
"I see Colliers as a company where career development is not limited – there are endless possibilities for progressing your career."
I joined the EMEA Graduate Programme, and over the next two years I will be rotating between Denmark, France and Germany, gaining experience in Valuations and Advisory, Occupier Services and Capital Markets....
I am currently in the Valuations & Advisory team. Each day depends on the pipeline, but to-date I have been involved in all aspects of investment properties – including preparing detailed market analysis and recommendation for clients as they approcah strategic investment decisions. I supplement the day to day with a focus on my personal development within the real estate field, through courses certified by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveryors).
I have noticed a lot of different trends within the real estate industry - even within different types of asset classes, investment strategies and investor types. Lately I am noticing one trend, which is valid across all the above-mentioned areas and that is ESG. The focus on ESG has been gaining momentum lately, not only by companies, but by all stakeholders involved. Specifically the “E”, the environmental aspect, is gaining increased media and governmental attention lately. I am fully supportive of ESG and a believer that the real estate industry has a responsibility to do what is considered right according to the environment, society and its clients. I was delighted to see Colliers has launched its own commitments to ESG called, ‘Elevate the Built Environment’ and is already advising clients on the impending legislation in its report, ESG, at a tipping point.
I am happy to be a part of the EMEA Graduate Programme, and can only recommend aspiring real estate professionals to apply. If you are highly ambitious and curious person, driven by personal and professional development and possess an entrepreneurial spirit, the programme will be a good fit for you. As a new recruit at Colliers, you can expect a steep learning curve, a lot responsibility and variety across your cases and tasks. I see Colliers as a company where career development is not limited – there are endless possibilities for progressing your career.
Rebecca Kern
EMEA Graduate Surveyor
"If you value an entrepreneurial spirit, are curious, like to get involved and take the initiative, I can only recommend applying."
There are many good reasons why aspiring real estate professionals should apply for the EMEA graduate programme at Colliers. I initially applied because I was looking for an international position within a leading real estate company...
Participating in the Graduate Programme has been an amazing adventure. I really enjoyed our induction at the start of the programme, where I met the other graduates and learnt more about the journey to becoming a RICS accredited Chartered Surveyor. It feels good to be a part of a significant professional accreditation programme together with other ambitious young professionals who share my passion for combining real estate, career development and travelling to live and work in other countries.
I officially started the scheme in the Tenant Representation team in Madrid. After speaking to my manager, we created a plan for the first nine months of the programme. I have the opportunity to work within three different departments: Office Agency, Tenant Representation and Capital Markets.
Day-to-day, I work with a small team of five. My manager and new colleagues have been extremely helpful and welcoming from day one of the programme. My first three months have consisted of visiting office buildings with clients and working on proposals for the best possible commercialisation of the office assets. This experience has helped me to develop a knowledge of the Madrid office market, best practices, the stock market and future developments. I have also met key landlords and investors. On the Tenant Representation side, I have been involved in various ongoing projects. As part of the wider team, we have recently won a pitch for one of our EMEA clients. It is truly an exciting time to be in the occupier services sector.
In September 2022, I am moving to London to work in the Valuations & Advisory department and later, in March 2023, I will be joining the Tenant Representation team in Copenhagen. After a year spent abroad, I will return to Madrid and complete the APC assessment in December 2023. I am extremely excited about all the different chapters of this journey.
I would recommend this programme to anyone who wants to boost their real estate career in an adventurous and unconventional way while gaining international experience and professional accreditation.
Michal Chmielinski
EMEA Graduate Surveyor
"I feel confident that Colliers has been the right choice for me. The experience I am gaining is second to none."
I started my journey on the EMEA Graduate Programme in the investment team in Poland. Even at this early stage I feel confident that Colliers has been the right choice for me. The experience I am gaining is second to none. I am already involved with the team on several transactions across multiple asset classes. . I have been given the opportunity to understand a wide range of factors influencing investors decisions, as well as what trends are shaping the market outlook.
It is a truly rewarding feeling to advise on a purchase or sale of a building that is shaping the city I am working in. The people I work with are very passionate about their jobs and invest in the relationships they hold with their clients. I am witnessing what sets my colleagues apart, which is how they approach the advice they give their clients. They go out of their way to be enterprising and ensure the service they give to their clients is the best.
I am really enjoying the openness of the team who share what they are working on, what issues they are facing, what they have accomplished and whether they need help from me or any other colleagues. I can say that such an approach has helped me to fully understand the scope of our services and what to focus on to constantly improve my performance.
A major trend I am spotting right now is the ever-growing importance of ESG. I personally think it’s an important issue and am fascinated by Net Zero buildings. This is the future and the concern of global warming will only accelerate. I was delighted to see Colliers has launched its own commitments to ESG called, ‘Elevate the Built Environment’ and is already advising clients on the impending legislation in its report, ESG, at a tipping point.
The past two months were exciting, and I learned even more than I had expected. I am absolutely thrilled for the upcoming 10 months here in Warsaw, six months in Berlin and another six months in sunny Madrid!
I encourage all students and graduates interested in developing a career in real estate to apply for the Colliers EMEA Graduate Programme. Colliers is taking great care of us and the opportunity to experience working in other countries is unique.
I am thankful that I am part of the EMEA Graduate Programme as I am sure this will be the head-start to a successful career in real estate.
