If you only read the headlines this year you could be forgiven for thinking the property industry has been in some kind of crisis. (Its not by the way)
Mortgage rates rising. The average two year fixed deal climbing from 4.83% at the start of March to 5.67% by May. The Iran conflict unsettling markets. Buyer demand running about 7% below last year.
However, us property people are a resilient bunch. We always have been. Underneath the noise, the fundamentals of this market remain far stronger than the doom and gloom narrative suggests.
The number of agreed sales is only 3% lower than this time last year. Average earnings are up 3.9% annually whilst asking prices are actually down 0.9% year on year. Buyers can now borrow more following last year’s review of the Loan to Income cap. These are all positives. The market is adjusting, recalibrating and all of us working within it are quietly getting on with it.
House building commencing in England in Q4 2025 was up 23% on the previous quarter and 24% on the same period the year before. The pipeline is building. The foundations are being laid, (quite literally), for the next phase of growth.
What this means for property recruitment right now
The agencies and property businesses that are hiring in this environment are making a very deliberate choice. They are hiring strategically, investing in the right people now so they are positioned to capitalise when the market fully opens up. (and it will do, it really will!)
Employers are placing more emphasis on candidate experience, strategic workforce planning and long term fit rather than rapid hiring. This shift leads to higher retention and stronger team performance.
In practical terms that means the brief has changed. Clients are not just asking “can you find me someone.” They are asking “can you find me the right someone.” Someone who will still be delivering in two years time. Someone who fits the culture, understands the market and does not need six months to find their feet.
That is a harder brief to fill. It requires a recruiter who genuinely understands property, not just recruitment.
The candidates who are moving are moving for the right reasons
Here is something I see every single day in this market. The best property professionals are not sitting on job boards waiting to be found. They are heads down, protecting what they have, understandably cautious about making a move in an uncertain climate.
They will move for the right opportunity. The right culture, the right leadership, the right career pathway and a salary structure that reflects the current cost of living reality.
The agencies winning the talent war right now are the ones who have got those things right. Clear progression. Honest pay structures. Leadership that develops people rather than just manages them. A business worth joining.
The Lettings sector is particularly active
The Renters Rights Act coming into force in May 2026 marks a generational shift for England’s rental sector, with some landlords reassessing their positions whilst others are poised to gain ground. This is creating real movement in lettings teams across the country. There is opportunity everywhere! Agencies need compliance-literate professionals who understand the new landscape. That demand is only going to grow.
The bottom line
The property market in 2026 is not the market of 2021 or 2022. It is not broken either. It is busy, it is moving and the businesses investing in their teams right now are the ones who will be best placed when the next upturn arrives.
At ProFind we are making placements every week across sales, lettings, property management, block management and beyond. The talent is there. It just needs finding properly, with the right approach, the right network and the right understanding of what both sides of the equation actually need.
If you are hiring in property right now and finding it harder than it used to be, that is not bad luck. That is the market. It is exactly the kind of challenge a specialist recruiter exists to solve.
Sally Asling is the Founder of ProFind Property Recruitment, a specialist recruiter working exclusively within the UK property industry.
📞 0204 583 4941 📧 sally@profindrecruitment.co.uk 🌐 www.profindpropertyrecruitment.co.uk
#PropertyRecruitment #PropertyIndustry #EstateAgency #Lettings #PropertyManagement #ProFindPropertyRecruitment #UKProperty #HiringStrategy #PropertyJobs
Sources and Data References
Mortgage rates Average two year fixed mortgage rate rose from 4.83% at the start of March 2026 to 5.67% as of 8 May 2026. Average five year fixed rate rose from 4.95% to 5.69% over the same period. Source: Moneyfacts, reported by MoneyWeek, May 2026.
Buyer demand Buyer demand in April 2026 was 7% down compared to the same period in 2025, consistent with February and March figures. Source: Rightmove House Price Index, April 2026.
Agreed sales The number of agreed sales in April 2026 was only 3% lower than the same period in 2025. Source: Rightmove House Price Index, April 2026.
Average earnings and asking prices Average earnings up 3.9% annually. Average asking prices down 0.9% year on year as of April 2026. Source: Rightmove House Price Index, April 2026.
House building starts 37,300 house building starts (seasonally adjusted) in England in Q4 2025, a 23% increase on the previous quarter and a 24% increase on the same quarter of 2024. Source: MHCLG, reported by House of Commons Library, May 2026.
Recruitment trends Employers placing more emphasis on candidate experience, strategic workforce planning and long term fit. Rate of decline in permanent placements easing to slowest in 18 months as of early 2026. Source: Recruitment Market Update 2026, drawing on REC, CIPD, KPMG and ONS data.
Renters Rights Act The Renters Rights Act came into force in May 2026, marking a generational shift for England’s rental sector. Source: Savills Prime UK Residential, Spring/Summer 2026.
Average UK house price Average UK house price of £271,700 as of March 2026, up from £270,500 in February 2026. Source: Zoopla House Price Index, April 2026.
