Property Personnel advises estate agents to “hold their nerve” post- Brexit

The Managing Director of the UK’s oldest estate agent recruitment consultancy has advised employers to “hold their nerve” following the ‘leave’ result in the EU referendum.

 

His comments come after a snap survey of recruitment intentions carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which suggested that almost half of members (48%) believe it’s ‘too early to tell’ what impact Brexit will have on the sector.

 

Property Personnel MD Anthony Hesse said: “After a historic decision like this, hasty knee-jerk responses are the last thing the industry needs. It’s important that UK estate agents don’t feel bounced into taking decisions with long-term impacts they may live to regret.

 

“Brexit is more of a process than an event – so the immediate impact will be limited, because any major changes will take some time. As a result, employers need to hold their nerve and consider any next steps carefully.”

 

But Anthony Hesse said he was concerned by another aspect of the CIPD survey, which indicated that 54% of members still don’t have a post-Brexit plan in place, and only 26% of respondents were actively developing one.

 

He explained:  “Issues such as employment law, immigration and the ability of employers to bring the right skills they need into their business were central themes of the EU referendum campaigns – so estate agents need to plan accordingly.

 

“It’s important to remember that our existing labour market already strikes a good balance between providing flexibility for employers and employment rights for workers. Currently, employers can bring in skilled workers from outside the UK to help support business growth and address labour shortages. It’s absolutely crucial that any renegotiation of our relationship with the EU takes this into account.

 

“Ultimately, we need to ensure that UK estate agents continue to recruit the best people to fill the jobs available. Access to the right talent is absolutely vital to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity – not only for the sector, but the country.”

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Why capital is staying in London despite a cooling housing market

By Joe Freedman, Head of Origination at ASK Partners London isn’t suffering from a lack of housing demand. It’s suffering from a failure to deliver. New data from Molior underlines the scale of that failure. Just 5,547 private homes broke ground across the capital last year, an 84% drop from a decade ago. Against an…
Read More
Breaking News

The hidden risk of overvaluing your home when moving in today’s market

With many homeowners turning ambitious conversations into tangible moving plans, the start of the year traditionally marks a surge in activity, particularly for families planning for the future. While the property market remains fundamentally healthy, experts at Beresfords say overvaluing property is one issue that continues to undermine the progress of those looking to sell.…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches next phase of AI-powered property search

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, has launched a beta version of AI-powered conversational property search, as it continues to enhance its property search experience. In close collaboration with Google Cloud and built with Google’s Gemini models, conversational search is available via the property search bar on Rightmove’s website homepage. The latest move further expands…
Read More
Breaking News

Should you break things off with your mortgage lender this Valentine’s Day?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the latest research from award-winning mortgage adviser, Alexander Hall, has revealed that more than half of homeowners approaching the end of a fixed-rate mortgage are currently undecided on their relationship with their lender, despite notable improvements across the mortgage market over the last 12 months. The consumer insight, commissioned by Alexander…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Finance Mortgage arrears and possessions Q4 2025

UK Finance today releases its latest mortgage arrears and possessions data for Q4 2025, while highlighting continuing lender support for any customers facing financial difficulty. Key Information The number of homeowner mortgages in arrears fell by four per cent in Q3 2025 compared to the previous quarter. The number of buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages in arrears…
Read More
Breaking News

Property compliance experts urge landlords not to ignore major tenancy changes under Renters’ Rights Act

Beresfords property group highlights key actions landlords must take as new tenancy rules, enforcement powers and energy standards approach. UK landlords are being warned not to overlook major changes to tenancy agreements and compliance requirements, as the Government moves closer to implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Following the publication of draft secondary legislation, the…
Read More