Training rather than passively accepting: training, the new strategic driver of real estate

Because the real estate sector is currently undergoing a silent but profound transformation. Accelerated digitalization, evolving customer expectations, increasingly complex regulations, pressure on margins, and the transformation of property management roles: never before have professionals had to combine so many different skills. In this context, continuing to view training as a constraint is like looking in the rearview mirror when the road ahead is changing.

The ALUR Law established a clear framework: 42 hours of training every three years, with a laudable intention: to guarantee a high level of professionalism. However, in practice, this requirement has sometimes had a paradoxical effect. Many stakeholders have sought to simply "tick the box," prioritizing short-term compliance over genuine skills development. Training has thus become a cost, rarely an investment.

But the real issue is no longer regulatory. It is economic and human.

Real estate professions are no longer solely based on legal or commercial knowledge. They now demand a constant capacity for adaptation. Property managers must master complex digital tools while maintaining impeccable client relationships. Negotiators must analyze data, manage their performance, and provide reassurance in an uncertain market. Agency managers, for their part, must recruit, retain, and support teams facing constantly evolving practices.

In this new landscape, competence is no longer stable: it becomes perishable.

In this landscape, training changes in nature. It is no longer a reaction, but an anticipation. It no longer stops at isolated sessions, but becomes a continuous flow, integrated into daily life.

More fundamentally, training is now a major HR lever. The real estate sector is facing increasing pressure on recruiting and retaining talent.

New generations aren't just looking for a salary or status; they expect career advancement opportunities, support, and the chance to progress. A company that doesn't provide training quickly becomes a company that struggles to retain its employees.

Training, therefore, also means recognizing the value of the employee.

But another, more structural change is taking place: the boundary between professional and technological skills is disappearing. Digital tools are no longer mere aids; they shape how we work, make decisions, and serve clients. Mastering one's digital environment is becoming inseparable from mastering the profession itself. Ignoring this convergence creates a divide between professionals who can leverage technology and those who are merely subject to it.

The collective challenge for the sector is this: to avoid a stagnation of skills in a rapidly changing market.

Continuing education can then become a factor of trust for the entire ecosystem. Trust from clients, who expect expertise and transparency. Trust from employees, who want to develop their skills. And finally, trust from companies, which must navigate increasingly shorter economic cycles.

The recent launch of new training initiatives in the sector illustrates this growing awareness: compliance alone is no longer sufficient, and learning must now accompany the transformation of professional practices.

Tomorrow, the most successful players will not necessarily be the greatest, but the most adaptable. Those who understand that competence is not something acquired but something that is constantly evolving. Those who grasp that training is not about slowing down activity, but about building resilience.

Ultimately, the question is no longer how many hours of training to provide, but how to create a professional culture capable of continuous learning.

In an uncertain market, training is no longer an obligation. It is your strategy.

Opinion piece by Cécile Guivarc'h, Director of Operational Performance at Orisha Real Estate (LinkedIn).