Three quarters of estate agents work more than an eight hour day at least once a week - and over half of agents work that much for five or even six days in a typical week.
A survey of 564 estate agents across the UK held last week shows that 28 per cent say they work beyond the nine-to-five routine office hours every single day of the working week, while 23 per cent stated they also work weekends in order to keep on top of their workload.
Some 20 per cent work beyond there regular office hours just one day of the week.
Much of the reason appears to be technology allowing consumers to be in touch 24/7 - some 91 per cent of the agents questioned say they are working longer hours to respond to buyer and seller enquiries outside of the regular nine to five, as well as over weekends.
Alice Bullard, a spokesperson for hybrid agency Nested - which commissioned the research - says: “The digital disruption of the property sector has been great in many ways and it’s allowed buyers and sellers, in particular, 24-hour access to the market, whether it be searching property listings or checking up on their own sale or purchase.
“However, this has put a great degree of pressure on estate agents to be accessible around the clock in order to deal with any questions or enquiries and failure to do so can often see them come under fire for providing poor customer service.
“This degree of flexible working is something that many big corporates have struggled to adapt to, with many agents within these businesses expected to maintain a regimented office work schedule while also going the extra mile outside of office hours.”
Bullard claims that the need to allow agents to work more flexibly was one reason behind the hybrid business model used by Nested.
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This is just as appalling now as it was in the 1980s. It is not exactly earth-shatteringly surprising, but horrifying to see it in black and white (sort of). I haver never actually met an agent with a work-life balance.
If you want above average wages put the hours in. Simples.
Imagine putting company resources into puff pieces like this.
The long hours are the major reason I left many years ago
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