How to Build a Real Estate Career While Studying Abroad in France or England

Struggling to land legitimate real estate roles while studying abroad in Montpellier, Sète or London?

Short answer: Yes—you can build a real estate career while you study, but you need the right paperwork, targeted internships, local language skills, and a networking plan tuned to regional rules. This guide gives a step-by-step, 2026-ready playbook for students in Montpellier, Sète and London: how to secure internships (stages & placements), satisfy licensing or registration needs, get around visa limits, and use proptech & networking to stand out.

Top takeaways (read first)

1. In France, internships require a convention de stage; longer stages must be paid. To act as an agent you’ll eventually need a carte professionnelle (or work under an office that has one).
2. In England, estate agents are not nationally licensed, but employers expect AML registration, professional memberships (NAEA/ARLA) and digital credentials—RICS pathways and PropTech micro-credentials are increasingly valued.
3. Language skills determine client access: aim for B2 French for client-facing roles in Montpellier/Sète; in London, English plus another EU language or French is a differentiator for international agencies.
4. 2024–2026 trends: proptech, virtual viewings, ESG/EPC mandates and AI-assisted valuations are reshaping entry-level tasks—learn these tools to stand out.

Why 2026 is a unique moment to start

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw a consolidation of digital tools across property firms—AI-assisted valuations, 3D tours and creator workflows and CRM automation are now common even at boutique agencies. Regulators in both countries tightened consumer-protection and anti-money-laundering rules, meaning employers look for candidates with compliance awareness. For students, that’s good news: demonstrating proptech fluency and AML/basic compliance knowledge can compensate for limited experience.

Quick roadmap: What to do in your first semester

1. Confirm legal status: check your student visa work hours and internship permissions (France: convention de stage; UK: student visa restrictions).
2. Register with your university career office and local chambers (Chambre de Commerce Montpellier; Careers Service in London).
3. Create two CVs: a French CV (short, formal) and an English CV tailored for London roles—both with a 1-page internship version.
4. Complete one proptech micro-course (CRM, virtual tour software or basic property valuation tool).
5. Apply to 5 local agencies in Montpellier/Sète or 10 London placements each week—include small independent agencies in coastal Sète and student-frequented neighborhoods in London.

Local licensing & registration — what students need to know

France (Montpellier & Sète): the Carte Professionnelle and stages

In France, the real estate profession is regulated through the carte professionnelle system (often called carte T for transactions and carte G for property management). Students won’t typically hold a carte while studying, but you must:

• Do internships under a convention de stage — a 3-party agreement between your school, you and the host company.
• Be aware that if you work in a company offering real estate services you should be supervised by someone who holds the relevant carte.
• If your goal is to become an agent after graduation, pathways include a BTS Professions Immobilières, a Licence Professionnelle Immobilier, or 3 years’ professional experience to become eligible for the carte.

Also expect employers to ask for professional liability insurance to be in place for the office—this is their responsibility, but know why it exists and how it protects clients.

England (London): no single licence — but compliance matters

England does not require a statutory licence to act as an estate agent, but there are strong compliance and accreditation expectations:

• Anti-Money Laundering (AML): firms must register for AML with HMRC and perform customer due diligence. As an intern, understand the basics of KYC and suspicious-activity reporting.
• Professional bodies: memberships like NAEA Propertymark, ARLA (for lettings) or RICS are commonly sought by serious firms—consider entry-level courses or student membership.
• Mortgage advice requires CeMAP qualifications—if you aim for finance or mortgage broking, plan to study CeMAP modules as an add-on.

Internships & placements: how to find and win them

Internships differ by market. Montpellier and Sète are regional coastal hubs; London is a global centre. Tailor your search.

Where to look in Montpellier & Sète

• Local agencies with a tourism and second-home focus—Sète’s market is seasonal; many agencies handle short-term and holiday rentals.
• Regional branches of national agencies (Barnes Occitanie, Century 21, Orpi).
• Property management firms handling student housing and historic properties in Montpellier’s center.
• University career centers and local Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie (CCI).
• French job portals: Indeed.fr, Pôle Emploi, Leboncoin (for small agencies).

Where to look in London

• High-street agents in student-heavy zones (Camden, Bloomsbury, South Bank) and boutique agencies in Soho, Notting Hill and Acton.
• Large agencies with structured graduate schemes: Savills, Knight Frank, Foxtons, JLL, and regional independent lettings agencies.
• RICS student resources, Propertymark vacancy boards and the University careers portal.
• PropTech startups — roles in marketing, CRM or data are often open to remote/hybrid interns.

Application checklist for both markets

• Short, tailored CV (one page for internships).
• Local-language cover letter — French for Montpellier/Sète; English for London.
• Proof of enrollment and a convention de stage in France.
• Portfolio of relevant work (photos, marketing posts, Excel valuations, sample property listings).
• LinkedIn profile and 2–3 local references (lecturer, former manager, or volunteer coordinator).

Language: practical levels and vocabulary to target

Language ability is a direct multiplier of responsibility and pay. Here’s how to prioritize:

• Montpellier & Sète: Target B2 French for regular client contact and document handling. Key legal terms to master: bail (lease), mandat (agency mandate), compromis de vente (preliminary sales agreement), acte de vente (deed), and diagnostics immobiliers (property reports).
• London: Full professional fluency in English; additional languages (French, Spanish, Arabic) boost value for international agencies and overseas-buyers desks.
• Use targeted learning: shadow agents, take short real-estate French/English courses (Alliance Française; property-specific modules), and practice role-play for viewings and negotiations.

Visa and working-hour rules (practical guidance)

Before you accept any paid role or internship confirm the following:

• France: Non-EU student visa holders generally can work up to about 964 hours/year (confirm with prefecture). Internships need a convention de stage; if the internship exceeds two months you are typically entitled to a statutory gratification (stipend).
• UK: Student visas commonly allow part-time work during term (usually up to 20 hours/week) and full-time during vacations. For longer paid placements that are a required part of your course, confirm this with your sponsor and the Visa/Immigration rules.

Skill stack that gets you hired in 2026

Beyond language and local-market knowledge, 2026 employers look for this skill stack:

• PropTech literacy: Matterport tours, CRM (HubSpot/Agency-specific), online listing portals, basic Excel/Python for simple market analysis.
• Compliance awareness: AML basics in the UK; GDPR and tenant-data handling in France.
• Marketing & sales: Social media listing promotion, photography basics, lighting & creator workflows.
• Customer service & negotiation: Listening skills, objection handling, local market comps.

Networking blueprint: where and how to build connections

Networking is the fastest route from intern to paid role. Do these every week:

1. Attend one local event: Montpellier real-estate meetups, FNAIM Occitanie sessions or a London RICS evening. Many events now offer hybrid attendance—use online access if travel is an issue.
2. Contact alumni from your university working in real estate; ask for 15-minute informational calls (not a job request).
3. Join local Facebook groups and Nextdoor for housing and agency posts (especially useful in Sète where small agencies post local listings).
4. Create a content habit: weekly LinkedIn posts about a local market observation (short, data-driven) to attract agency recruiters — consider experimenting with alternative networks and new social features for niche reach.
5. Use targeted outreach: short, polite emails to branch managers offering 2–4 weeks of free or low-cost admin help, with a promise to learn and a short list of what you can do (social posts, data entry, virtual tours).

Cold email script (short, adaptable)

Bonjour/Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], a [your course] student at [University] based in [Montpellier/Paris/London]. I’m learning property marketing and valuations and would value 15 minutes to ask how your branch handles [short relevant topic: e.g., seasonal rentals or EPC compliance]. I’m available to help with admin or virtual tour setup for 2–4 weeks and can start [dates].

Merci/Best,
[Your Name] — [Phone] — [LinkedIn]

Interview prep: what hiring managers in 2026 ask

With proptech and compliance front-of-mind, expect competency questions and a practical test:

• Describe a time you organized a viewing or event (focus on logistics and customer care).
• How would you prepare a property listing to maximize enquires (photos, description, keywords)?
• Basic valuation test: explain three comparables and show a short market analysis — if you want a modern CMA approach see Valuing Manufactured Homes: A Modern CMA Approach.
• Compliance question: how would you verify a new client under AML/GDPR rules?

Bring a one-page cheat-sheet showing local comparables, recent EPC or market data and a mock listing to demonstrate you can start adding value on day one.

Turning an internship into a job: practical steps

1. Start by solving admin pain points: faster listings, better photos, clearer pricing comps—small wins get noticed.
2. Track metrics: number of leads from your social posts, listing click-through rates, or time saved on admin—present results in weekly catch-ups.
3. Ask for a mini-project: a 30-day plan to increase viewings or improve the landlord onboarding process.
4. Negotiate a clear conversion trigger: e.g., after 3 months and X deliverables, convert to a paid part-time role.

Remote and hybrid internship options (2026 trend)

Post-2024 many agencies split roles: client-facing viewings in-office, marketing/data roles remote. For students this opens:

• Remote marketing internships (content, ads, CRM management) with agencies based in London while living in Montpellier or Sète — consider a low-cost remote tech stack for smooth work.
• Data or valuation assistant roles—good for students with Excel/SQL basics and familiarity with AI valuation tools.
• Virtual-staging and 3D-tour editing roles—learn basic creator tools and lighting and consider Matterport editing skills.

Education & micro-credentials that matter

Employers increasingly value short, verifiable credentials in 2026:

• France: BTS Professions Immobilières or Licence Pro Immobilier for long-term careers; short Certificats from Chambre de Commerce on property law and rental management for quick credibility.
• UK: RICS student membership and short CeMAP or Propertymark modules; PropTech micro-credentials on platforms like Coursera or vendor certifications (Matterport, HubSpot) are helpful — see marketplace/tool roundups for what employers check (tools & marketplaces).
• Show certificates on LinkedIn and in applications—digital badges are checked by recruiters.

Local market notes: Montpellier, Sète & London (practical insights)

Montpellier

High student population and historic center demand short-term and mid-term rentals. Agencies there value someone who understands student-housing cycles, municipal regulations on tourist lets, and local tramway catchment areas.

Sète

Smaller, seasonal market with a strong second-home and tourism component. Agencies may prefer flexible interns who can help ramp up in summer months—seasonal fluency and local networks are gold.

London

Highly segmented—buy-to-let investors, young professionals, luxury buyers and international investors. In London, specialize: lettings, sales, international sales desks, or proptech marketing to be most competitive. If you’re running open houses or small local events, the Weekend Micro‑Popups Playbook offers useful tactics for quick local traction.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Ignoring the convention de stage in France — always get the three-party agreement signed before starting.
• Assuming London is one market — pick a niche and speak its language (e.g., HMOs vs. buy-to-let vs. new-build sales).
• Underestimating compliance — even interns must show basic AML/GDPR awareness in the UK.
• Neglecting language practice — a few weeks of targeted role-play beats months of passive study.

Case study: Sophie — from Montpellier intern to junior agent (real example blueprint)

Sophie, an exchange student at the University of Montpellier in 2024, completed a 3-month stage with a boutique agency in the Écusson. She focused on listing optimization and Instagram marketing. Her steps:

1. Secured a convention de stage through her school and asked for a learning plan.
2. Learned local keywords and posted weekly market snaps — tracked leads from social posts.
3. Presented a 30-day plan to her manager showing a 20% increase in enquiries; she then negotiated a paid part-time role after her stage ended and later a full-time junior agent position after graduation.

Sophie combined language practice, measurable results and a proposal to convert her role—this is replicable.

Action checklist — what to do this week

• Confirm your visa rules for work and internships.
• Create or update a French and English one-page internship CV.
• Sign up for one proptech or AML mini-course (3–6 hours).
• Send 5 tailored outreach emails to agencies (use the cold email above).
• Register for one local networking event and prepare a 30-second pitch about what you offer.

Final thoughts — the advantage you have as a student

As a student in Montpellier, Sète or London you have time and proximity advantages: you can test multiple niches quickly (tourism rentals, student housing, lettings, proptech marketing) and build a track record of tangible wins. In 2026, firms want agile, digitally literate recruits who understand local rules. Nail the administrative basics (visas, convention de stage, AML awareness), invest in language and proptech skills, and convert short wins into paid roles.

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re studying in Montpellier, Sète or London and want a tailored weekly plan (CV review, local agency targets and a 30-day internship pitch), click to request a free 15-minute consultation with our student real-estate career advisor. Bring your CV and one market observation—you’ll leave with an outreach email template and a 7-day action list.

Start now: polish your one-page CV, secure your convention de stage (if in France), and send five outreach emails this week. The property market rewards initiative—make your move in 2026.

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