Apprenticeship master’s in real estate ‘a no-brainer’ – Harrison Dockerty from Knight Frank
An apprenticeship case study with Harrison Dockerty
Average read time: 10 mins
1 June 2026
Real estate is a passion that's been building from a young age for Harrison Dockerty. As a child, he fondly remembers sitting at the breakfast table with his family, soaking up the conversations his parents would have about their work in property.
Then there were the endless hours playing The Sims on his laptop, "just building houses and designing the interior of them", which helped him to develop a fascination with how "the built environment shapes people's everyday lives".
“The apprenticeship route meant I could gain the qualification without the financial burden, while also getting hands‑on experience at the same time.”
Added to the mix was a deep-seated natural love of architecture. "Particularly Georgian architecture I absolutely love," he said. "I like the proportions, the elegance, and I particularly like the old stucco-fronted houses in London. Every time I used to drive past them with my parents, I'd always point out how much I love them."
Harrison Dockerty with partner Chris Olsen, who proudly posted this graduation photo to his millions of followers
That early curiosity never faded. Despite choosing to study geography with management at the University of St Andrews, real estate remained the common thread running through Harry’s academic choices. Even his dissertation reflected his love of the built environment, choosing the subject of wine and where to invest in vineyards.
Apprenticeship master’s degree in real estate
Harry Dockerty (right) at Knight Frank
He formalised his love of real estate by joining Knight Frank’s graduate scheme. This means he rotates across different departments to gain broad experience across the business. So far, he's worked in property asset management, residential sales, industrial real estate fund management, development valuations, renewable energy, and now residential lettings.
“What stood out with an online master’s is the flexibility to study while in a full-time role and without compromising on academic rigour.”
Happily, the global property consultancy also funded his apprenticeship master’s degree in real estate with the University of the Built Environment.
A degree apprenticeship was an “obvious choice,” Harry said. "If I’d done a real estate master’s before joining Knight Frank, I would have had to fund it myself. The apprenticeship route meant I could gain the qualification without the financial burden, while also getting hands‑on experience at the same time.”
Here, Harry picks up on a key driver for why apprenticeship degrees are much favoured in this climate of student debt and securing a vocation.
Graduates in England also face high debt levels. Latest UK Government data shows debt frequently exceeds £40,000.
It’s a frequently cited reason why degree-level apprenticeships represent one of the fastest-growing routes into professional careers, increasing by almost 13% in the 2025/2026 academic year compared with the previous year.
Harry also highlights another key benefit: the happy partnership between the concurrent threads of learning and working.
"You've got that symbiotic relationship between the things that you're picking up in your day-to-day work and the academic knowledge that you're picking up through your master’s and through the apprenticeship route," he said.
Harry Dockerty and TikTok star Chris Olsen
He cites the topic of leases as a good example of immediately being able to turn his learning into action.
"When I was working in asset management, I remember doing a module in property asset management and understanding how to read a lease properly. And that for me was just so important because when I went into that rotation, I already hit the ground running because I already knew how a lease was structured, how a rent review is done, how service charge budgets are allocated - all those things that I wouldn't have had any experience or understanding of before. It gave me a massive head start."
Harry also makes the important point about how the benefit of immediately applying formal study to a practical work environment can suit those with learning challenges.
Harry Dockerty with his mum at the University’s graduation ceremony in Reading, Berkshire
“As someone who's dyslexic, the practical experience of applying knowledge was really helpful. It would just stick in my brain more.”
A third important point Harry makes about the study/work partnership is that he could hit the ground running.
“The master’s has given me a nice grounding in real estate. It's allowed me to accelerate my career at Knight Frank and it really sets you up nicely for your APC [RICS Assessment of Professional Competence].”
Online learning
For a busy professional like Harry, whose working day usually starts before 9:00 and ends at 18:00, the University’s digital campus was the ideal setting thanks to its online learning model and the time flexibility this offers. Knight Frank also granted Harry a study day every Friday to catch up with lectures.
“It wasn’t always easy,” Harry admitted. “I definitely sacrificed lots of weekends and evenings, especially around deadlines, but it was absolutely worth it for the growth I gained.”
The University’s virtual learning environment (VLE) certainly exceeded Harry’s expectations: “I was really shocked at how user-friendly and easy to work with the VLE was,” he said. “Just the fact that the lectures were pre-recorded so that if I had a meeting, for example, on a Friday that I had to attend and I couldn't attend a lecture, I could always just re-watch it and catch up then. The VLE, for me, was very smooth and intuitive to use.”
The University of the Built Environment’s digital campus is far from a passive, isolating environment that online courses elsewhere can sometimes be.
Harry Dockerty with his dad, who also works in property
With the University’s online delivery model, Harry enjoyed a vibrant online community of students; frequent and direct contact with lecturers and apprenticeship support officers; an e-library with 40 industry-specific databases; and plenty of networking opportunities.
“The networking was a big plus,” he said. “Speaking with other students in the forums and WhatsApp groups about assignments, I met people from other real estate firms across the country and some across the world."
He added: “I was very surprised by the engagement and responsiveness of lecturers - particularly when I had questions about my assignments or when it was crunch time.”
His final thoughts on his online learning journey will resonate with a lot of our graduates. Understandably, many may not have known what to expect from a cutting-edge digital University that was yet established more than 100 years ago, with none other than His Majesty King Charles III as its patron.
"What stood out with an online master’s is the flexibility to study while in a full-time role and without compromising on academic rigour,” Harry said.
“Overall, doing the online master’s has changed my perception of what e-learning is. Previously I was worried that online learning would be very out of touch. But, in reality, it felt almost like being at a normal university but with the convenience of being able to complete a degree literally anywhere in the world."
For Harry Dockerty, an online master’s degree apprenticeship in real estate has opened doors both literally and metaphorically, practically and virtually.
He said: “Overall, I’d say that if you’re serious about developing a career in real estate, the apprenticeship route is a no‑brainer. You get a fully funded master’s, you can earn while you study, and it sets you up really well for your APC.
“It’s a very practical and accessible way to build both your qualifications and your experience at the same time.”
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