The UK’s largest estate and letting agency group, Connells, made headlines this month by announcing that it would be capping working hours for employees at all 1,200 offices across the group.
Under the new rules, no employee will work more than 37.5 hours per week – and according to the group, that won’t come with any changes to pay, salaries or benefits.
According to Chief Operating Officer Chris Rosindale, it’s a win-win for agents and clients.
“By harmonising our opening hours based on customer feedback and investing in a healthier work-life balance for our colleagues, we’re committed to evolving as a forward-thinking employer who values both customer needs and employee wellbeing.”
Will the rest of the industry follow?
Work-life balance has traditionally been difficult to find in estate and letting agencies. A survey in 2021 found that more than half of agents work beyond the 9 to 5 working day every day of the week.
According to some in the industry, the stress that property professionals face has been damaging for mental health. And it isn’t only agents affected. Last year, a survey by The Property Institute, a professional body for residential property managers, found that 67% of respondents felt that their mental health was put at risk by their work, with workload a key factor.
Meanwhile, others say that giving agents more time out of the office could help to boost retention and even agencies’ bottom lines.
Estate and letting agencies are unlikely to ever move fully to a 9-5, weekdays-only schedule. Prospective buyers and tenants need to be able to view properties at weekends. And for letting agencies, emergencies can strike at any time.
But time-saving technology can help to reduce their administrative workload and give them more space to breathe. Long, repetitive processes like rental payment reconciliation, which would traditionally keep agents stuck at their desks at busy times of the month, can be automated to the point that they can be completed in a couple of clicks. As agencies increase their use of technology, we could see agents’ work-life balance improve, with positive effects on their stress levels and mental health.
