The ‘temperature check’ poll carried out by industry recruiter Josh Rayner over the past week, suggests that up to 66% of estate agency workers could be considering a change of job role as a consequence of how they feel about the future of the property sector and the turmoil that it faces from Coronavirus fallout.
The poll, which ran online for a week, finished yesterday (Sunday 26th April).
Over 6,500 people interacted over the seven days.
Nearly a quarter of the responses say that their recent experience of the industry’s handling of the Corona crisis has made them question their future and their current role.
Whilst pledging to return to work, they are set on the possbility of a change in the future.
22% have enjoyed working from home and the freedom and flexibility that it has afforded them.
14% are now concerned about job security and what self employed working might hold.
33% are happy to go back to work, just as before, and feel supported by their bosses.
Just 6% say that they will leave the industry altogether.
The detailed response are as follows:
Nothing has changed for me I can’t wait to get back to normal and I appreciate the support I have received from my bosses: 33%
I’ve got used to working from home and I intend to change my role to make sure I can do more of that now: 22%
This crisis has made me think about job security perhaps going down the self-employed agent route is no longer so daunting and I intend explore that now: 14%
I’m unsure and feel different as this whole experience has made me consider my future. I will go back to my old role for now until I decide about my next steps: 24%
I’m out of here and I don’t want to be in this industry anymore. I’m not going back: 6%
How EYE reported the launch of the poll last week:
After the virus, will you want to go back to working in agency?
Comments (12)
Things will return to normal and this temperature check will be long forgotten … I ignored its relevance after the first paragraph. Doom and gloom has been forecast for decades for one reason or another and here we still are. Our industry is no different to any other, highs and lows and people are always moving around at the best of times, some business’s fold and others open.
You can only grease the cogs with technology but no-one has found a replacement to a round wheel.
The only thing that will have a long lasting effect on our industry is when people stop trading in property ……. pigs will fly.
Still a great industry to be in.Lets face it most businesses will come out of this differently-we just need to adapt.
“Estate agency” – even the name is anachronistic – has resisted modernisation for decades. But every industry has to change eventually and the time has come for buying and selling homes to be brought into the c21st. And no, it doesn’t involved tens of thousands of clueless kids driving around in minis trying to justify 2-3% fees.
Given as an industry we are not out the woods once lockdown is lifted. I can’t see much movement from employees.
Employers will have a recruitment freeze. If staff leave they will not be replaced for sometime.
Shame also on any employee that has been kept on over the last few months and then looks to jump ship.
Always headlines on poor employers far more worse poor employees.
Shame also on any employee that has been kept on over the last few months and then looks to jump ship.
That’s an odd comment to make smile please.
Employees are wholly entitled to take stock of their professional and private life and perhaps consider a new employment path.
Crucially I would have thought the poor way in which some companies have handled furlough will have made employees question their future with their employer.
A sizeable able number of people with be taking a different view on life, post C19.
A number of companies (mine for example) have not furloughed staff. We have redeployed them into different roles. We do not want to add an increased burden and i also want my business fine tuned by the time we are able to start up fully.
I have kept all my staff on. Not furloughed or laid off any. All to my expense. My pockets are deep enough to cover it, because we are well run.
So if any of my staff left i would feel let down. Although because they all have 100% wage (plus commissions) i doubt they will.
FYI the agents that have furloughed staff and still using them on a full or part time bases, you are being watched and you will be reported if you have not already.
Fair reply smile please. Well done for the approach you have taken, and funded by your own well run business.
Agreed in any business that is trying to play the system although I doubt there will be many. Unfortunately HRMC will have no time to chase any offenders, that is the reality.
Let’s look forward to post Covid. I have enough business existing and pre-registered to rise from this mess.
About the same as the last 4 years then I suspect!
34 years!
Recruiter issues statement that people will be looking to change jobs. Shocker.
a good scientific survey then.
Next Benh’ll be cancelling press conferences citing ‘fake news’…why does it matter who did the pole if this is how staff are really feeling?
It would be interesting to find out at the end of the year how this poll played out…..
I suspect it might be quite different.
It would also be interesting to see how many of those that already work from home for say PB are intending to do something else.
In an uncertain post covid-19 market will people want to pay £1,000 or more to try to sell their home?