Role Revolution

Vacancies in the property sector have, according to recruiters Property Personnel, dropped by 30%. They're right to point to the usual suspects as being the major drivers; a sluggish housing market, cost-of-living pressures and ever-tightening regulation. But there’s something else also reshaping the landscape and it’s not just another cyclical downturn – it’s the steady march of AI.

It’s easy to see why agencies are cautious. When transactions slow and margins are squeezed, the first instinct is to pause hiring, especially for entry-level roles. Graduate schemes and junior positions are often the first casualties. But the scale of the drop in vacancies suggests something deeper is at play, even in the back of agents' (and others') minds. Across the UK, entry-level job postings have tumbled by a third since late 2022. And it’s not just us – research from Stanford shows similar patterns in the US, particularly in sectors most exposed to generative AI. This isn’t just a temporary belt-tightening. It’s a structural change.

The reason? It’s not that jobs disappear overnight but the tasks within them do. AI doesn’t march in and make a role redundant in one fell swoop. Instead, it quietly takes over the repetitive, rules-based work – exactly the sort of tasks that used to fill a junior’s day. In estate agency, that means writing property descriptions, uploading listings, managing diaries, conducting basic research, answering phone calls and handling routine enquiries. As these tasks are automated, the traditional junior role starts to look rather thin. If most of the admin is handled by AI, what’s left for the new starter?

The risk is that agencies, facing pressure from all sides, decide to skip hiring juniors altogether. It might seem like a sensible cost-saving move but it’s a short-term fix with long-term consequences. Without entry-level roles, there’s no pipeline for tomorrow’s valuers, branch managers, or directors. The industry risks losing not just affordable labour but its own future leaders.

So, what’s to be done? The answer lies in rethinking the very structure of jobs. Break each role down into its component tasks. Put the repetitive admin, templated copy and scheduling into the AI column. Reserve the empathy, negotiation, local market insight and creative marketing for the human column. Then, recruit and train with this new division in mind. You may recruit less – I think we’re all going to have to accept that this is true – but you’re going to recruit smarter. Let AI handle the paperwork, while people focus on what only humans can do.

This shift isn’t about simply replacing people but about elevating them. The differentiator for agencies will increasingly be those ultra-human skills; empathy, creativity, adaptability and trust. The best agents have always been those who can guide clients through the emotional highs and lows of moving home. That human touch is now more valuable than ever.

Vacancies may have tumbled but the opportunity is there for agencies willing to adapt. Redefine what it means to be a junior. Give new starters earlier exposure to clients, more responsibility and a focus on the skills that AI can’t replicate. The firms that embrace this approach will be the ones still thriving when the dust settles.