Brexit "is biggest uncertainty facing industry" says recruitment guru

The head of lettings and estate agency recruitment company Property Personnel claims Brexit campaigners are “playing Russian roulette” with the industry.

“The threat of Brexit is the biggest uncertainty facing agency in 2016. It’s a huge gamble. For all we know, we could be facing an era of unprecedented long-term changes in the property jobs market. In short, those hoping for a British exit from the EU are playing Russian roulette with recruitment in the estate agency sector” says Anthony Hesse.

Property Personnel has been placing employees in residential agency for over 25 years and says a Brexit would exacerbate existing skills shortages.

“We are already struggling to find people with the right skills to fill the positions we have available and that’s with two million EU citizens currently living and working here. A Brexit vote is likely to make that situation even worse. It’s an open question as to how we would fill these skilled positions if those EU workers were forced to leave” he says.

“Then there’s the cost involved in up-skilling the indigenous work force. This would see estate agencies competing for critical talent, bidding to retain staff and trying to attract more British workers, which would inevitably push up wages.

Hesse says that whilst not ideal, only a vote to remain would provide a level of predictability which the sector desperately needs.