There has been a worrying drop in the number of good quality candidates applying for jobs in the estate agency sector, according to property recruitment firm Rayner Personnel.
It comes as the latest data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that the UK now enjoys the lowest unemployment rate since 1974 and overall job vacancies exceed candidates for the first time since records began.
Using the latest industry data from job listings websites Reed, property recruitment firm Rayner Personnel has crunched the numbers to see how this equates to the estate agency sector.
It found that available job roles have remained fairly static with an average of 2,586 jobs being on offer each month this year as opposed to 2,463 per month in 2019 before the pandemic hit.
Whilst job roles available have remained fairly static with an average of 2,586 vacancies being on offer each month this year as opposed to 2,463 per month in 2019 before the pandemic hit, the big change in the property sector employment market has been a sharp drop in candidates.
In 2019, there were typically 9,866 people looking for jobs in estate agency. Three years later there are just 4,780 job seekers registering per month.
The big decline began in spring last year and accelerated throughout 2021. Josh Rayner, CEO of Rayner Personnel says that the number of job seekers is still shrinking month-on-month.
He commented: “We live in a world where if you want to find your future partner, you just swipe left, or right. If you want to buy a coffee, you tap your phone and walk out 30 seconds later with a cup with your name on it.
“And yet, when it comes to attracting talent into our businesses, an incredible nine out of ten potential candidates drop out because the application process was too lengthy or complicated!
“Organisations need to seriously rethink their approach to the candidate journey if they want to add the other 90% back into their funnels. Not only this but with candidates being so scarce now and good ones even more so, employers would do well to look after their staff before they start to think about leaving – not once it’s too late.
“And if you see a great fit for your role, snap them up quickly because they are now demonstrably fewer and further between.”
Comments (12)
or maybe just maybe … so called high flyers demands are unreasonable, they are not football players.
I think half the problem is this …….. He commented: “We live in a world where if you want to find your future partner, you just swipe left, or right. If you want to buy a coffee, you tap your phone and walk out 30 seconds later with a cup with your name on it”.
Get to grips, high flyers worth their salt are not dumb and put the effort into their career and its opportunities. Its the so called, think they are good, that want the short cuts. You can only short cut before it becomes non-productive for an employer and very risky to find you didn’t do the proper job and discover you have been paying a lemon. On the other hand, pay peanuts you get monkeys!
Recruitment is always going to be a balancing act, the job description, working demand and affordability and what the candidate will accept that is on offer and never the other way around. That is life and to start giving into what you need to do with checks and can afford is a recipe for disaster.
Half the problem, people are turning away from the industry because of the demonising that has been relentless for many years?
“Half the problem, people are turning away from the industry because of the demonising that has been relentless for many years?”
No the reason people are not interested in that they can earn far more in other jobs working less hours.
When I staretd as an agent on the 80s it was a real sales job for real sales people
Now it is just a low skilled admin job so the salaries reflect that.
Nonsense and there we go again with demonising estate agency …….
Now it is just a low skilled admin job so the salaries reflect that.
There are agents good and bad with recruitment admittedly, but the cream do not go to the bottom of the pile and any sensible employer knows to look after (within limits) their best staff or they will leave given the opportunity and going by the lead story vacancies are there but not the cream employees looking.
I am not demonising it at all.
I used to be an agent for years.
I left school with a few A levels.
On my first day as an estate agent I rang a guy from the applicant box, showed him a house and sold it at asking price of £30.950.
It is not rocket science.
I do agree that good agents will move to were they get paid more but other industries pay more for working less hours and not weekends.
H’mmmmm your words ……….
Now it is just a low skilled admin job so the salaries reflect that.
I used to know a manager who bragged about employing the cheapest staff in all the franchise. The same manager often complained of fickle staff and high staff turnover, often stating that these “kids” were lazy and didn’t like the long hours. They mostly moved to other competitor agencies, with similar hours. The manager never did put 2 and 2 together.
Seen it many times. Some Corporates were renowned to hire and burn out staff and the employee turn over was very high. Take a look at todays agents and my money is on the smaller independent high street agents with long serving staff.
I doubt that many negotiators in an independent earn more than 35k
Other industries are far better paid these days
Would have to agree that it comes down to money; which in my opinion in turn comes down to fees that an agency charges.
If I use my last ‘negotiator’ position as an example; the branch had an average 2k plus vat fee of which the negotiator would be paid 4% – a meagre £80. 6% if you listed it – £120; a maximum £200 commission.
This, on top of a basic salary of 18k; meant in order to earn a decent living – let’s say 35k+ – you would need to sell 150-200 houses, in an office of 4 negotiators. The numbers don’t stack up do they? It’s much easier and less time-intensive to work in a different industry where the basic pay is much better and the commission more generous; and likely paid quicker too!
But until the general public are willing to pay higher fees, you are able to sell yourself as better than your competitor or a combination of the two, I feel we will be seeing more good people leave the industry. Especially when you look at the salaries and job opportunities on offer for PropTech companies etc.
Just pay a decent salary it is that simple
This is actually the issue… well salary and hours.
Working within property is a fairly labour intensive which simply not understood by the vast majority of people. So why would someone wish to work unsociable hours for low pay? Nowadays they’re not, meaning that salaries have to increase to a level that does attract people.
100%
when a good candidate comes along you have to act quickly. Some companies have a very offputting lengthy robotic process and it simply repels industry talent.