A survey of agents’ attitudes which two weeks ago showed a big majority of agents wanting to work as self employed and/or from home has tested the water again - and the mood of dissent appears to be as strong as before.
This is despite the fact that this second ‘temperature check’ took place at around the same time that the government allowed the housing market and estate agents’ activities to resume.
This second survey appears to confirm that those agents seeking a change of role and a different model of working remains at almost two thirds. Specifically, some 64 per cent favour either working from home, moving to self-employed status or quitting the industry altogether.
Recruitment specialist Joshua Rayner’s latest survey also revealed little difference between agents who responded, whether they were corporate employees or independents.
Of Branch Managers, 61 per cent from the independent sector felt unsure about their role and job security. In the corporate sector, the figure was 58 per cent. And 66 per cent of independent valuers are concerned about job security.
The sector that seems most ill at ease is the online sector where 82 per cent want to work in a different way in future.
“It should still be seen as a concern that 64 per cent of the industry are either feeling differently about the role they want, are exiting the sector or are worried about their job security. But 50 per cent more people have decided they want to leave the industry since we took the first poll two weeks ago” explains Rayner.
The key question in Rayner’s survey was as follows:
Coronavirus has thrown the property industry another set of challenges, but different ones to that of 2008 and Brexit. Stuck at home unable, by law, to carry out our most basic functions. Staff are furloughed and the market is in suspended animation with significant disruption to revenues, staffing and our overall viability as a sector. How does that make you feel? Please choose the one that applies the most:
- Nothing has changed for me;
- This crisis has made me think about job security;
- I’m out of here;
- I'm unsure and feel different.
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So you are unsure you have a job? The heh set up as self employed with nothing? Where do they get these stories from?
For me, the most interesting stat from the survey was that 67% of business owners saw no change yet less than 30% of employees feel the same way. That is a huge disconnect and one that is likely to cause considerable grief and disruption in the weeks and months ahead as we come out of the current crisis.
I am curious Graham, what was the sample size of participants on the survey?
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