There are currently record numbers of vacancies in the property agency sector in comparison to available candidates.

Recruitment firm Deverell Smith said the gap is at a record, with the number of job opportunities soaring.

It says that post-election certainty means companies have become more focused on hiring, retaining and creating a framework for larger teams and branches.

Ana Hutchinson, head of estate agency recruitment at Deverell Smith, said: “If property agencies don’t fill these seats and respond to the demand in their market, they are facing huge opportunity costs.

“What we are now experiencing is a market with far more newly created positions than the talent available to fill them.

“We have never experienced such an extreme gap and many of our clients are developing trainee programmes for graduates and candidates with transferable skills in order to fill these seats.”

She added: “Competition for experienced and well connected property agents is resulting in counter offers, wage and commission inflation and invariably retention has decreased from the lure of better packages. We are experiencing a ‘candidate led’ market’.”

The firm’s research shows disparity between supply and demand is most prevalent in central London where there are two negotiator jobs to every one candidate, while in lettings the gap is eight to one.

This is a 24% rise in sales roles and 46% rise in lettings roles in the past 12 months.

Hutchinson said: “This has been brought on by several factors, such as heavy investment into lettings operations and expansions, the summer market and the return of the relocation agents.”

The Deverell Smith website is here