Recruitment Insights for Estate & Lettings Agencies – April 2025

Understanding the latest hiring trends in the UK property sector

Market Overview

Across the last quarter, a clear picture has emerged: while estate agency roles—particularly in sales—continue to be advertised in volume, lettings roles are seeing stronger candidate engagement. There’s a growing supply-demand imbalance in both areas, but the dynamics differ:

Estate agency roles are in higher demand from employers, yet fewer candidates are actively seeking them.

Lettings roles, especially at senior level, are attracting more candidates, though vacancies are more stable.

Regional Variations

Whilst overall candidate availability to job role is steady, the roles are still not actually matching the experience or requirements of those candidates available, for example, areas with a large number of Lettings positions available, will generally have enough candidates to fill those roles, except those candidates might be looking for more sales based opportunities.

Monthly Breakdown & Trends

• January 2025: A quiet but steady start, with modest vacancy growth (+6.7%) and a sharp rise in candidates (+53.3%). Lettings roles dominated jobseeker interest as teams planned for Q1 movement.

• February 2025: A burst of hiring activity (+76.5% in vacancies), largely driven by sales teams building for the spring market. However, candidate numbers plateaued, with some employers noting early signs of a talent bottleneck.

• March 2025: A sharp slowdown in roles (-56.2%) and a dip in active candidates (-25%). Many firms paused hiring to evaluate performance against Q1 targets, especially with higher salary expectations and longer time-to-hire cycles.



Market Trends & Industry Insights

Remote and hybrid expectations have fundamentally shifted the recruitment conversation—more than half of experienced candidates cite this as a “must-have,” not a preference.

Looking Ahead: April–May

Although Easter is still approaching, April has already seen a noticeable rise in new roles, particularly for Sales Managers and Lettings Negotiators. However, many roles are now taking longer to fill, due to a mismatch in candidate expectations, competition from hybrid roles elsewhere, and reluctance to relocate or return full-time to the office.

We expect post-Easter activity to remain strong, with new instructions driving a second wave of recruitment—especially for agencies who are quick to act.

Implications for Your Business

• Estate Agencies: To secure top sales talent, offer flexibility and streamline your hiring process. Delays are costing firms the candidates they shortlist.

• Lettings Teams: Make use of candidate momentum. Consider developing admin or tenancy staff into more senior roles internally or through tailored external hiring.

• All Agencies: Promote adaptability in job specs. The most successful clients are those hiring for ability rather than ticking every box.

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