In May 2023, David Kowalewski successfully completed his final examination to become a real estate agent (IHK). He reports on his career to date.
After graduating from vocational high school in 2019, David wasn't interested in going to college at first; he wanted to do an apprenticeship. He was particularly interested in careers in real estate and banking. Through his father's friend, Steffen Heuchert, who is a real estate agent, David came to the Velbert office of Kartheuser Immobilien GmbH (fun fact: Steffen Heuchert was already an apprentice in 1995 with Wolfgang Kartheuser, the senior partner in the company).
After his interview with Tim Kartheuser, it was decided that David would first be allowed to get a taste of the profession and the company as an intern. Both sides liked this so much that it was clear that "the new" trainee had been found. Until the start of his training, David was offered a paid internship with 30 hours per week, during which he could gain initial professional experience and get to know the internal processes.
During the three-year training program, which started in the rental department and typically began with "looking over the shoulder," David was entrusted with responsible tasks relatively early on. He was spared the hours of copying and file sorting that some of his classmates had to do. On the contrary, when he had questions or encountered difficult topics, people were happy to take the time to explain things to him, David reports. Thanks to his previous internship, he was already "fully immersed" in the processes. During his first year of training, he was already allowed to manage his first rental properties together with an experienced colleague.
On the subject of vocational school, David says: "The Kartheuser trainees all go to the EBZ (European Education Center for the Housing and Real Estate Industry) in Bochum. It's one of the most renowned private vocational schools in Germany. I noticed this in my class and in the parallel class, where people are even flown in from other states because the school also has a boarding school." He continues: "I always spent three weeks at the company and then had a week of block teaching. There were regularly two to three exams, tests, or presentations. Learning all the school material in combination with a 40-hour working week is quite a heavy workload. The school is very good in terms of subject matter, and after each school session, we were able to work through the content again on an e-learning platform. Compared to my classmates, I, or rather we, are really well equipped with our own iPhones, iPads, and laptops."
In the second year, everything became more complex, with the preparation of real estate offers, even more responsibility, and more money at stake. David greatly appreciated the trust placed in him. "I ended up in the right company!" he says proudly. The properties entrusted to him, as well as the responsibility assigned to him, continued to grow, starting with the sale of small condominiums and culminating in his first house after completing his training. When asked if he has any criticism of his training, David has to think long and hard. He jokes about the sometimes longer working hours, but says he quickly got used to them. "I have everything I could wish for: a company car, excellent technical equipment, and I work in a great team that supports each other."
David passed his final exam with a good grade. He had already signed a permanent employment contract and is now an integral and valuable member of the Kartheuser Immobilien team. His professional goals: In consultation with his boss, the 24-year-old wants to use the first year to develop his skills, gain more practical experience, and then decide in which direction he wants to continue his training. Because he wants to stay for the long term. David cannot confirm the saying "once an apprentice, always an apprentice." "We have a flat hierarchy here, we are on first-name terms, I can talk about anything, it's a pleasant working environment that is almost like a family." Finally, he advises future school leavers: "Real estate agents are always in demand and the profession will still exist in 30 years' time. But you definitely have to find the right company. I recommend that everyone do as many internships as possible."
