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Real Estate Investment Graduate

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Launch your career with one of the UK's leading residential developers and investors.
At Watkin Jones, our two-year Graduate Programme offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience across the entire residential development and investment lifecycle. Working alongside experienced industry professionals, you'll develop a broad commercial understanding while building the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in real estate.
What You'll Experience
Throughout the programme, you'll rotate across four key areas of the business:
Investment
- Support the identification, appraisal and acquisition of development opportunities across our core Living sectors, including Build to Rent (BTR), Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Co-Living.
- Gain exposure to single-family housing opportunities and strategic development partnerships.
Divestment
- Assist in the marketing and disposal of development assets.
- Learn about a range of funding structures, including forward funding agreements and joint venture partnerships.
Asset Management
- Support the ongoing management, performance monitoring and reporting of assets where Watkin Jones retains full or partial ownership.
- Develop an understanding of long-term value creation and investment performance.
Development & Planning
- Work alongside planning and development teams to help shape high-quality residential schemes.
- Gain experience in the planning process, scheme design, project viability, risk management and cost control.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Why Join Watkin Jones?
This is more than a graduate programme. It's an opportunity to accelerate your professional and personal development through real responsibility, meaningful project work and direct exposure to senior leaders.
You'll Benefit From
- Rotational experience across investment, development, asset management and divestment.
- Mentoring and coaching from experienced Investment Team leaders.
- On-the-job learning with real commercial impact.
- Structured training and development opportunities.
- Support to achieve both your short-term ambitions and long-term career goals.
- A clear pathway to building a successful career within the residential property and investment sector.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for you to have a qualification at a degree and diploma/masters’ level in a property-related qualification (acceptable to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to enable membership). If you have work experience to support your application, great, but if not, don't worry, passion and drive are just as important.
During this two-year programme, you’ll be offered the chance to rapidly develop professionally and personally, working side-by-side with IDP leaders and the wider team while learning on the job. In addition, you will have access to the guidance, support, and training to enable you to achieve your short-term and long-term career goals.
Our intention is to offer our graduates a permanent role at the end of the programme, subject to performance and requirements at the time. We'll work with you to identify suitable opportunities in our business which match your talent and fit with your longer-term goals, developing you professionally and personally.


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Why Choose Watkin Jones Group?
Watkin Jones Group is the UK’s leading developer, builder, and manager of residential-for-rent homes, with a rich history dating back to 1791. With 54,000+ homes developed and in-build across over 254 schemes, we have a proven track record of success. Our operating arm, Fresh, manages over 18,500 units across 58 schemes.
Joining us means becoming part of a company that’s not only deeply rooted in history but also firmly focused on the future. We’re committed to creating high-quality rental homes, fostering vibrant communities, and driving sustainable development.
At Watkin Jones, we believe in investing in our people.
Here’s What We Can Offer You
Work-Life Balance
- 25 days of annual leave (increasing with tenure), hybrid working arrangements, and discounted gym memberships.
Wellbeing
- Access to ‘Your Wellbeing’ programme & OpenUp – a confidential wellbeing platform.
Rewards
- Health cash plan, life insurance, and more.
Benefits
- Exclusive shopping discounts, and a contributory pension scheme.
This is an opportunity to take on a high-impact role within a forward-thinking company. In return, we offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and the chance to work on major projects that shape the built environment.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
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