Hunters Property Group is the first UK company to be jointly recognised for its in-house training courses by both City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership & Management.

Hunters offers its employees over 30 in-house training opportunities. Following 12 months' of work with City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership & Management, developing a pilot Bespoke Award process, Hunters has developed three fully recognised and approved training standards, as Bespoke Awards.

Glynis Frew, director at Hunters, said: "We're delighted to have become the first company in the country to have its in-house training jointly recognised by both organisations in this way. This is not only advantageous for our team in terms of the quality of training they receive, but also provides a recognised Bespoke Award certificate, when they complete each standard. It also demonstrates how Hunters Property Group is driving standards within the property industry."

Kim Parish, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM)added: "Choosing to have both City & Guilds and ILM recognise their in-house training demonstrates that Hunters is not just equipping its staff with the skills they need to excel in their core areas of work but also to lead and manage their teams effectively. It is a winning combination and we are delighted to be part of it."

The three standards include:

• Standard of Best Practice - incorporating eight modules that assess best practice within the estate agency and property industry.


• Sales Standard - this course assesses selling skills, ethics and behavioral styles. Crucially, the student is assessed in the field - on the job - by an independent assessor to ensure they are equipped with the know-how, ability and understanding of how to sell effectively and ethically.


• Management - those who want to rise through the ranks in Hunters take this course to ensure they have the right skills to motivate, appraise and effectively manage their teams.

Each level is assessed at the end of the course and those who pass receive a jointly badged Bespoke Award certificate from City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership & Management.

The Hunters Training Academy also offers a number of other courses ranging from presentation skills to telephone techniques. In addition to offering its 200-strong team access to these courses, Hunters has also opened the academy to clients, property developers and its 50-strong franchisee network across the UK.

Jayne Twiddle, branch manager at Hunters, said: "Having started working as a weekend negotiator with no knowledge of the industry, training was essential for me. I found I wasn't disappointed. Every training course was not only informative but enjoyable and interactive. As a result I have achieved a branch manager's position within just five years."

Debbie Addison, project manager at City & Guilds, added: "We demand high standards from our recognised providers and have been impressed by Hunter's approach to training and development. The company has a real energy and desire to give its people every opportunity to progress and maximise the skills they need to be most effective in their roles."