Specialist recruiters say that despite well-reported difficulties in the housing market, there is still plenty of demand for front-line fee earners – but that it is currently very hard to place a glut of more senior people now on the jobs market.

Anthony Hesse, of Property Personnel, said: “We have a disproportionate number of senior candidates registering with us that are proving very difficult to help.

“Employers are not wanting to pay large basic salaries that these candidates demand.

“Also, we have seen an increased number of online agents looking to return to high street agency, plus a number of people who have had their own businesses looking to get back into an employed role.

Rayner, of Rayner Personnel, said there are plenty of vacancies for negotiators, valuers, assistant managers and branch managers.

He said his own business has around 600 such roles across the UK, and that its placements are up almost 50% on this time a year ago.

In contrast, he said, there are a number of senior people looking for jobs but who are struggling to find new roles as, typically, regional director, lettings or sales director, and financial services director.

Rayner said: “These are highly skilled individuals with long-standing experience, but demand for their talents has decreased, and there are not enough senior roles, due to uncertainty.

“Anything over senior branch manager level, the employer has plenty of choice with typically five to eight strong candidates for the role.”

Although LSL itself has not confirmed the overall figure, Rayner said there had been some 500 redundancies at LSL, with jobs at different levels affected by the restructure.

There are known also to have been job losses at other firms, including high street independents and online firms.

However, Rayner warned that employers recruiting new staff are tending to ‘low ball’ candidates – in other words cut expectations over basic salaries – with some citing Brexit uncertainty.

“We’re also seeing longer probationary periods, typically six months, allowing firms to operate on a ‘last person in, first person out’ basis,” said Rayner.

“Counter offers are also increasing, as employers try to hold on to their existing long-standing staff, and this is stopping talent from jumping ship.”