Over the past month, we’ve seen a noticeable shift.
More agency directors and branch managers are turning to LinkedIn to post their own job adverts. There’s been a clear uptick in open positions across platforms like Indeed, and it’s evident that many agencies are choosing to recruit in-house — often driven by the belief that using a recruiter is “too expensive”.
But here’s the reality: recruitment, when done internally, isn’t free. In fact, it may be costing you more than you think — not in agency fees, but in lost time, productivity, and ultimately, revenue.
Let’s break down what an empty seat really costs an estate or lettings agency:
💸 1. Lost Revenue
People don’t just sit in chairs — each chair should have a price tag on it and that is the price of the income they need to generate. Whether it’s a Sales Negotiator closing deals, a Lettings Valuer bringing stock to market, or a Property Manager delivering service excellence to keep landlords on board, every seat should directly contribute to your revenue stream.
An empty chair means fewer listings, fewer viewings, fewer instructions, fewer completions — and a direct hit to your bottom line. Particularly in high-value markets, the loss can be eye-watering.
🏢 2. Fixed Overheads Don’t Wait
Your CRM system, your office lease, portal fees, and tech subscriptions — they all continue, whether the desk is filled or not. That seat is still costing you money; it’s just not making you any either.
🙇♀️ 3. Strain on the Team
Vacancies put strain on your current team, who often pick up the slack. This creates a domino effect — productivity dips, stress rises, morale drops. Your best people risk burnout, or worse, they may start looking elsewhere.
🧑🏫 4. Recruitment & Training Isn’t ‘Free’
When you DIY recruitment, you’re still paying — in time, distraction, and opportunity cost. Who is writing the job ad? Filtering applicants from Indeed? Managing diaries? Conducting first-stage interviews?
The average in-house process eats 10–15 hours of management time before you even make an offer — and that’s if it works. Add training, onboarding, and the 2–3 months before a new hire is productive, and the true cost soars.
📉 5. Damaged Client Relationships
In estate agency, relationships are everything. If your clients are used to a consistent point of contact and suddenly find themselves chasing updates, the impact on your reputation — and future business — can be significant.
So, what’s the alternative?
Hiring a recruiter is an investment — but it’s one that saves you time, protects your revenue, and ensures your brand is represented professionally in the talent market. Recruiters don’t just ‘find CVs’ — they headhunt, they sell your opportunity, and they handle the heavy lifting while your team focuses on what they do best: selling and letting homes. BUT Recruiters have to put in a LOT of time to do this effectively and if you are not serious then they are not going to put in the effort – so work with your recruiter on this, be responsive!
Build Your Sub Bench
At ProFind Property Recruitment, I encourage my clients to future-proof their agency by maintaining a strong “subs bench”. That means:
✅ Keeping passive candidates warm
✅ Engaging in forward planning around peak periods
✅ Using recruiters strategically when key positions arise
✅ Hiring on potential and transferable skills, not just a like-for-like CV
If you’re juggling vacancies, frustrated by slow processes, or just want to avoid the hidden costs of that empty seat, I’d love to chat about how I can help.
📩 sally@profindrecruitment.co.uk
📞 07760 787026
🌐 www.profindpropertyrecruitment.co.uk
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