Estate agents earned more in 2008 than now, and are among the professions to have suffered the largest fall in pay over the past decade, research claims.

Their pay has fallen both in real terms, and once inflation is taken into account.

Estate agency comes fourth in sectors hit hardest by falling earnings since 2008.

Analysis of ONS data on earnings – which includes basic pay, overtime pay and commissions – found the average pay at companies listed as estate agencies fell by 12.6%, or by one-third once inflation is taken into account between 2008 and 2018.

The analysis claims agents earned on average £30,411 in 2018, down from £34,787 in 2008.

The research was conducted by proptech firm Wagestream, which claimed agents have seen their income fall 33.3% since 2008 once inflation is accounted for.

Those working in door-to-door sales and travel agents have experienced the largest income declines, down 46.7% and 37.7% respectively.

Apparently, journalists have seen their salaries rise by 13.8% on average, growing from £35,580 on average in 2008 to £40,490 in 2018.

But when taking inflation into account, their average 2018 salary should be £46,610, meaning that their wages have fallen by 13.1% in real terms, Wagestream claims.

The ONS data takes a sample of 300,000 employees in the UK.

Peter Briffett, chief executive of Wagestream, said: “It is great news that pay growth is the highest it has been in ten years, but many workers have seen their salaries stagnate and even fall dramatically over that time.

“Most UK workers are still in a worse position than they were in 2008, with very few people seeing a real-terms pay increase over that period.

“Some of the UK’s lowest-paid people have been hit by falling wages, resulting in their disposable income being cut to nothing, and making budgeting harder.”