Estate agency job adverts are among the least transparent when it comes to pay, with many listings failing to include salary details and others advertising wide pay ranges, according to new research.
Analysis of 9,646 job adverts by the employee experience platform Reward Gateway and Edenred found that estate agency was one of the sectors most likely to omit salary information altogether, with 154 listings in the study not disclosing pay. Only strategy and consultancy, and manufacturing, recorded higher numbers of adverts without salary details.
The research also found that estate agency roles typically feature the widest advertised salary bands of any sector, with an average gap of £43,274 between the lowest and highest figures listed in job adverts.
Researchers say this reflects the commission-driven nature of estate agency pay, where earnings can vary significantly between individuals in the same role depending on performance, experience and deal flow. Across the UK, estate agency earnings can range from around £15,000 to more than £90,000.
Overall, the study found that while 53% of job adverts include a salary range, 17% list a fixed salary and around 30% provide no pay information at all.
The study shows almost one in five job ads promote at least one legal or baseline entitlement as a “perk.”
In addition, 336 companies listed 28 days of annual leave (the minimum legal requirement) as a perk. The industries most likely to do this are charity (63), social care (57) and sales (55).
Chris Britton, people experience director at Reward Gateway | Edenred commented: “It’s surprising that nearly one in five job ads still promote basic legal entitlements as perks and that salary transparency remains limited, with 30% of adverts providing no pay information.
“However, improving transparency is vital to helping both employers and employees. It enables candidates to make informed career decisions, while helping businesses attract and retain top talent.
“Businesses should prioritise delivering meaningful benefits that support financial, physical, and emotional well-being, rather than repackaging minimal offerings to make roles appear more attractive”.