<p>The podcast series where property meets people.</p>

<h1>devcast</h1>

<h3>Watch our latest episodes</h3>

<p>George Azar, CEO Sotheby's International Realty</p>

<h3>We hired entrepreneurs and put enemies into one room.</h3>

<p>As the deverellsmith group released the 2025 version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deverellsmith.com/campaign/salary-guide-2025/">Salary Guide and Trends</a>&nbsp;report, our expert advisors at Hintel shared their knowledge on how to retain talent outside of remuneration.</p>
<p>&ldquo;<em>The great irony of our industry today is that while 41% of property professionals cite salary as their top priority, the companies with the lowest turnover aren&rsquo;t necessarily the highest payers&mdash;they&rsquo;re the ones who understand that engagement goes far deeper than the payslip.</em>&rdquo; &mdash; Pete Sheppard, Managing Director, Hintel</p>
<p>With nearly 37% of UK employees considering a career change in 2025, the property sector faces a retention challenge that salary increases alone cannot solve. As professionals increasingly prioritise multiple factors in their career decisions, businesses must reconsider what truly keeps top talent engaged, productive, and loyal.</p>
<h2 id="The-great-reshuffling:-Understanding-the-2025-talent-landscape" class="wp-block-heading">The great reshuffling: Understanding the 2025 talent landscape</h2>
<p>A growing number of UK employees are gearing up for a career shake-up in 2025, according to research from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Nearly 37% of workers are considering a change&mdash;up from 29% in 2023&mdash;highlighting an increasing demand for new opportunities, skills, and work environments.</p>
<p>Leading this career shift are younger professionals, particularly those aged 25-34, with a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) revealing that over 45% are eager to explore new industries or roles.</p>
<p>This trend isn&rsquo;t isolated to the UK. Recent Gallup data reveals that more Americans are considering a job change than at any point in the last 10 years. U.S. employees feel increasingly frustrated and detached from their work&mdash;something Gallup calls the &ldquo;Great Detachment.&rdquo; Even more concerning for employers, a PwC survey conducted among over 56,000 workers in 50 countries shows that 28% of respondents are likely to change companies within the next 12 months.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re witnessing a fundamental shift in how employees view their relationship with employers. The data clearly shows that professionals are increasingly willing to vote with their feet when their broader needs aren&rsquo;t being met, regardless of competitive pay,&rdquo; says Pete Sheppard, Managing Director at Hintel. &ldquo;The property sector is particularly vulnerable to this trend given the transferable skills many professionals possess.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="The-compensation-paradox" class="wp-block-heading">The compensation paradox</h2>
<p>Our own research at deverellsmith indicates that 41% of property professionals cite higher salary as their top priority in current or future roles. This represents the largest segment of respondents, narrowly edging out the 39% who prioritise work-life balance (interestingly down from 54% in 2024).</p>
<p>Yet despite salary being the top stated priority, data tells a more complex story. While the average pay rise in 2024 was 7%, companies offering above-market compensation still experience significant turnover when other workplace elements are neglected.</p>
<h2 id="What-really-drives-retention?" class="wp-block-heading">What really drives retention?</h2>
<p>When examining what makes employees stay at their current companies, several factors consistently emerge as equally or more important than base compensation:</p>
<h3 id="1.-Flexibility-and-work-life-balance" class="wp-block-heading">1. Flexibility and work-life balance</h3>
<p>The Flex Index Q4 2024 Report shows that 43% of U.S. firms now have a structured hybrid model&mdash;more than double the 20% reported in 2023. This rapid adoption reflects employee demand, with 75% of employees indicating they want greater flexibility in how and where they work.</p>
<p>Most tellingly, only 9% of employees with flexible work options plan to leave within the next 12 months, compared to 50% of those without such options in 2024. This dramatic difference suggests flexibility now rivals compensation as a retention tool.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&ldquo;The conversation about flexibility has evolved significantly in the past year,&rdquo; explains Ella Beese, Head of People and Culture. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no longer about simply allowing remote work, but rather creating personalised approaches to flexibility that recognise individual needs. Our most successful clients have moved beyond one-size-fits-all policies to truly understand what flexibility means to different segments of their workforce.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="2.-Career-development-opportunities" class="wp-block-heading">2. Career development opportunities</h3>
<p>Our research shows that 40% of property professionals list &ldquo;a new role or opportunity&rdquo; as their primary career goal for 2025, while 22% aim for advancement to leadership roles, and 14% seek new skills or certifications. Combined, these development-focused goals account for 76% of respondents&rsquo; primary ambitions.</p>
<p>Organisations that create clear growth pathways and invest in employee development can satisfy these aspirations without necessarily offering the highest base salaries in the market.</p>
<h3 id="3.-Management-quality-and-workplace-culture" class="wp-block-heading">3. Management quality and workplace culture</h3>
<p>Repeatedly, studies show that &ldquo;people don&rsquo;t leave companies; they leave managers.&rdquo; Poor management relationships consistently rank among the top reasons for voluntary departures, regardless of compensation level.</p>
<p>The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that 28% of UK workers who left their jobs due to negative workplace culture attributed their departure to a negative relationship with their manager</p>
<p>Conversely, companies that invest in management training, adopt positive workplace cultures, and prioritise employee wellbeing experience significantly lower turnover and increase productivity rates &mdash; even when offering average market compensation. According to a study conducted by the Association for Talent Development, companies that invest in comprehensive training programs experience 218% higher income per employee than those that don&rsquo;t prioritise training.</p>
<h2 id="The-skills-evolution-challenge" class="wp-block-heading">The skills evolution challenge</h2>
<p>The property sector faces a dual skills challenge that further complicates the retention picture:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>AI and technology growth means technical skills are increasingly required in what are becoming known as &ldquo;new-collar jobs&rdquo;</li>
<li>Simultaneously, there&rsquo;s a growing premium on soft, human-led skills required to drive change and transformation</li>
</ul>
<p>Companies that help employees navigate this skills evolution through training, mentorship, and growth opportunities create bonds that transcend purely financial relationships.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&ldquo;The property sector is facing unprecedented technological disruption,&rdquo; notes Georgia Zambakides, Executive Director. &ldquo;Organisations that actively invest in helping their teams navigate this changing landscape&mdash;developing both technical competencies and critical soft skills&mdash;are seeing dramatically improved loyalty. Employees increasingly value employers who prepare them for the future, not just those who pay well for current skills.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="Why-an-Employee-Value-Proposition-needs-to-be-the-Total-Value-Proposition" class="wp-block-heading">Why an Employee Value Proposition needs to be the Total Value Proposition</h2>
<p>What emerges from this data is the concept of a &ldquo;Total Value Proposition&rdquo; that extends well beyond the salary figure. While competitive compensation remains necessary, it functions as just one element in a comprehensive retention strategy that must include:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Meaningful flexibility that acknowledges individual work-style preferences</li>
<li>Clear career development pathways with visible progression opportunities</li>
<li>Quality management that supports rather than hinders employee success</li>
<li>A positive workplace culture that fosters belonging and purpose</li>
<li>Benefits that address holistic employee wellbeing</li>
<li>Skills development that prepares employees for evolving industry demands</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="Why-the-employee-experience-is-your-biggest-strategic-invesment" class="wp-block-heading">Why the employee experience is your biggest strategic investment</h2>
<p>For property businesses facing the prospect of 37% of the workforce considering career changes in 2025, the message is clear: salary increases alone won&rsquo;t solve the retention challenge.</p>
<p>The most successful organisations will be those that strategically invest across the entire employee experience&mdash;from recruitment processes that set accurate expectations to management practices that build engagement, development opportunities that create growth, and cultures that provide meaning beyond the paycheck.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>&ldquo;What we&rsquo;re consistently finding,&rdquo; says Pete Sheppard, &ldquo;is that firms achieving the highest retention rates aren&rsquo;t necessarily the highest payers. They&rsquo;re the ones taking a holistic view of the employment relationship&mdash;understanding that while competitive compensation opens the door, it&rsquo;s the total experience that makes people stay. In 2025&rsquo;s competitive talent landscape, that distinction will separate the winners from those constantly refilling their talent pipeline.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In a market where talent is increasingly willing to move, the winners won&rsquo;t simply be those who pay the most, but those who create environments where employees feel valued, supported, and positioned for future success.</p>

Beyond the paycheck: Why top compensation alone won’t retain your best talent

<p>RPO, or recruitment process outsourcing, can help real estate companies grow their business in a number of ways.</p>
<p>Here are a few of the most common benefits:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Increased efficiency:</strong>&nbsp;RPO firms have the expertise and resources to streamline the recruitment process, which can save real estate companies time and money.</li>
<li><strong>Improved candidate experience:</strong>&nbsp;RPO firms can help real estate companies create a positive candidate experience, which can attract and retain top talent.</li>
<li><strong>Reduced risk:</strong>&nbsp;RPO firms can help real estate companies reduce the risk of hiring the wrong candidate by conducting thorough background checks and reference checks.</li>
<li><strong>Increased compliance:</strong>&nbsp;RPO firms can help real estate companies stay compliant with all applicable employment laws.</li>
<li><strong>Access to talent:</strong>&nbsp;RPO firms have access to a wider pool of talent than most real estate companies, which can help them find the best candidates for the job.</li>
</ul>
<p>Overall, RPO can be a valuable tool for real estate companies that are looking to grow their business. By partnering with an experienced RPO firm, real estate companies can save time, money, and risk, while also improving their candidate experience and access to talent.</p>
<p>Here are some specific examples of how RPO has helped real estate companies grow their business:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A large real estate company was struggling to find qualified agents to fill open positions. After partnering with an RPO firm, the company was able to reduce its hiring time by 50% and increase its hiring rate by 20%.</li>
<li>A small real estate company was having trouble attracting top talent. After partnering with an RPO firm, the company was able to create a more positive candidate experience and attract top talent from other real estate companies.</li>
<li>A real estate company was facing a lawsuit for violating employment laws. After partnering with an RPO firm, the company was able to stay compliant with all applicable employment laws and avoid a costly lawsuit.</li>
</ul>
<p>These are just a few examples of how RPO can help real estate companies grow their business. If you are a real estate company that is looking to grow your business, RPO is a valuable tool that you should consider and Hintel would love to learn more about your business.</p>

How can RPO help real estate companies grow their business?

<p>Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) has been growing in popularity as an effective solution for managing talent acquisition. As we look ahead to the remainder of 2023, here are some trends and predictions for the future of RPO:</p>
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Increasing use of technology:&nbsp;</strong>Technology will continue to play a major role in the evolution of RPO. AI-powered recruitment tools will become more widely used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as candidate screening and scheduling. This will enable RPO providers to deliver a faster and more efficient recruitment process.</li>
<li><strong>Greater focus on candidate experience:</strong>&nbsp;Candidate experience will continue to be a key focus for RPO providers. The best RPO providers will put a strong emphasis on creating a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process, from the initial job application to the final job offer. This will help to attract and retain top talent.</li>
<li><strong>More flexible solutions</strong>: As the workforce becomes increasingly diverse, RPO providers will need to offer more flexible solutions to meet the needs of their clients. This may include a range of recruitment models, such as project-based, on-demand, or shared services.</li>
<li><strong>Increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion:&nbsp;</strong>Diversity and inclusion will continue to be a major focus for RPO providers. Companies will increasingly look to RPO providers to help them build more diverse and inclusive workforces. This will require RPO providers to develop innovative strategies for attracting diverse candidates and eliminating bias from the recruitment process.</li>
<li><strong>Growing demand for global RPO solutions:&nbsp;</strong>As companies become more global, there will be a growing demand for RPO solutions that can operate across multiple countries and regions. This will require RPO providers to have a strong global presence and the ability to navigate different cultures and employment laws.</li>
</ol>
<p>AI-powered recruitment tools, project-based or shared services, and global presence will be important factors in delivering faster, efficient, and diverse recruitment processes that attract and retain top talent. RPO providers will play a critical role in helping companies build more diverse and inclusive workforces, as well as navigate different cultures and employment laws in an increasingly globalized world.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;d like to learn how Hintel can support your hiring process, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hintel.co.uk/contact-us/">contact us directly here.</a></p>

The Future of RPO: Trends and Predictions for 2023

<p>We all have conscious problems we want to resolve. A lot of them revolve around money and more specifically, saving money. We buy rail season tickets, move debt on to interest free credit cards, buy a certain product because its on offer that week. If we&rsquo;re not shopping around for all of our insurances, we&rsquo;re mocked by a nearest and dearest who got &ldquo;a better deal&rdquo;. Then there are costs where we don&rsquo;t hold the data or knowledge to easily be able to compare price vs value:</p>
<p>How much to plaster my wall?</p>
<p>&pound;2700.</p>
<p>Can I get a breakdown of that please?</p>
<p>Sure, to do the job is &pound;2700 and to not do the job is &pound;0</p>
<p>Being constantly told that we are doing things the wrong way and the damage that can do to relationships is not lost on me as a father of 2 independent pre-teens. So how do we open up these sensitive topics without looking like we know a business better than its own leadership team. The short answer is to first admit that we don&rsquo;t. We can ask good questions and show genuine interest in what makes an organisation attractive to potential candidates but until we get into the detail its often hypothetical.</p>
<p>Add to all of this that even if you can identify a problem, you then need to convince the decision maker that it is worth their while fixing it. When it comes to outsourcing their recruitment, I believe that if you can demonstrate 3 things to a potential client you have much more chance of progressing the conversation:</p>
<ol class="wp-block-list" type="1">
<li>They can save money &ndash; This may not be on recruitment fees alone. For example, if a typical London estate agency can retain just one extra member of their team a year, they will save/generate over &pound;100k in upside for the business.</li>
<li>Demonstrate expertise beyond those they can employ directly &ndash; One of the biggest drivers to outsource has to be the recognition that your team of experts offers more than an internal recruiter can on their own, no matter how good they are.</li>
<li>That you and your business can be trusted &ndash; These are long term investments which are significant in value. There has to be absolute trust backed up with contractual protection (which comes later in the process) if the outsourced provider fails to meet certain standards</li>
</ol>
<p>We&rsquo;re asking to look under the bonnet of a businesses operations to find a problem that we will then advise we can fix. All well meaning and of course I truly believe that a quality outsource provider has access to a greater depth of skills compared to a lot of company&rsquo;s internal capabilities. We are also very often more easily able to invest in the improvement of the recruitment process.</p>
<p>We like to work with data in the first instance. It&rsquo;s a single source of the truth and good or bad its often less emotive to deal with. The key is then demonstrating what improving this data does for the individual. The skill of understanding the different motivations of your buyer (HR, Procurement, Business Owner etc) will be begin the reassuringly long process of building that trust.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;d like to be the first to peak into some of your potential problems and would like someone who is on your side no matter what the data tells us, then&nbsp;<a href="https://calendly.com/dsrpo/30min">book in a call here.</a></p>

What’s your problem?

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Business overview</h1>
<p>The client is recognised as one of the UK&rsquo;s premier advisors in real estate, operating as a key function within a globally recognised real estate advisory firm. As part of a strategic growth initiative, the business sought to significantly expand its team to meet the increasing demand for their services and capitalise on market opportunities.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The challenge</h2>
<p>The business embarked on an ambitious growth strategy with the aim to increase their headcount by 300%. The project was structured in three distinct phases, with each phase requiring the recruitment of 25 new specialists, for a total of approximately 75 specialist hires over an 18-24 month period.</p>
<p>The business recognised that their current internal capability did not have the resources to drive a hiring programme of this scale and complexity. They needed a partner who could design and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy that would deliver high-quality talent consistently over the project duration.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Project requirements</h2>
<p>The project was established with clear objectives from the outset:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Deliver through a partnership with Hintel, who would have full accountability for the programme</li>
<li>Hire only the best quality talent, delivered with rigour and governance</li>
<li>Hire to a clearly defined set of role priorities</li>
<li>Implement a simple and clear process for all concerned, with well-defined responsibilities</li>
<li>Deliver an outstanding candidate experience</li>
<li>Create and communicate a market-leading and compelling message for the client</li>
<li>Continue to build upon the successful partnership between Hintel and the client</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Our approach</h2>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Comprehensive market research</h3>
<p>After an initial period of design and discovery, the team utilised the capability of its Data &amp; Research function to conduct an extensive market analysis. This involved identifying every qualified financial specialist in the UK that matched pre-determined criteria. Through this thorough approach, the team identified more than 1,100 potentially suitable candidates, creating a robust talent pool from which to source.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dedicated delivery team</h3>
<p>Understanding the scale and importance of the project, Hintel&rsquo;s delivery team built an in-house task team dedicated exclusively to this recruitment initiative. This specialised team worked on the project five days a week, ensuring consistent focus and momentum throughout the project lifecycle.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Structured phased implementation</h3>
<p>The project was strategically divided into three phases, with each phase targeting the recruitment of 25 specialists. This phased approach allowed for:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Controlled integration of new hires into the organisation</li>
<li>Opportunity to refine the recruitment process based on early feedback</li>
<li>Manageable onboarding of new team members</li>
<li>Steady progress toward the overall headcount goal</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Results</h2>
<p>The project has demonstrated remarkable success:</p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Phase 1 was successfully completed on time and on budget</li>
<li>The impact of the project exceeded forecast revenue expectations</li>
<li>Phase 2 reached the final stages of completion as planned</li>
<li>Both firms are now preparing for the concluding phase of the project</li>
</ul>
<p>The success of this initiative is further validated by client testimonial. The Managing Partner at the client organisation stated:</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;We engaged Hintel to drive a strategic growth project for us which was a great success. So much so, that we have subsequently rolled out two further projects to similar success. We enjoy working with the team at Hintel as they are trustworthy, determined and clearly care about our business and making a difference.&rdquo;</em></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key success factors</h2>
<p>Several factors contributed to the exceptional results of this recruitment project:</p>
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Data-driven approach</strong>: Utilising advanced research capabilities to identify a comprehensive pool of qualified candidates</li>
<li><strong>Dedicated resources</strong>: Creating a specialised task team focused exclusively on delivering project objectives</li>
<li><strong>Clear governance</strong>: Establishing well-defined processes and responsibilities from the outset</li>
<li><strong>Partnership mentality</strong>: Building upon an existing successful relationship to ensure alignment on goals and expectations</li>
<li><strong>Long-term vision</strong>: Implementing a phased approach that allowed for sustainable growth and integration</li>
</ol>
<p>This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of a strategic, well-executed recruitment partnership in achieving ambitious growth objectives. By combining market expertise, dedicated resources, and a structured methodology, Hintel successfully delivered a transformational talent acquisition programme that has positioned the client for continued success.</p>

How to grow your real estate firm by 300%

<p>Webster&rsquo;s Dictionary describes it as Railway Post Office &ndash; so even they don&rsquo;t know what it is.</p>
<p>Most of the articles I have read talk about what RPO or recruitment process outsourcing is, from the perspective of the solution provider. I&rsquo;d like to try and articulate what it is to you, the buyer.</p>
<p>Outsourcing part or all of your recruitment function in the same way you would outsource IT support, HR consultancy, building maintenance etc. So why is it often so much harder to convince a business that this type of outsourcing is a smart move compared to the others?</p>
<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>*insert silver bullet sentence here*</strong></p>
<p>I can&rsquo;t be sure but here&rsquo;s my attempt to explain it.</p>
<p>IT support is business-critical no matter how large or small you are, website management, email security, network support and typically the demand exceeds internal resources or that resource wishes to focus on strategic progression instead of day-to-day IT issues.</p>
<p>Equally, this world of technical dark arts can feel very alien to the recipient, we share our screen and let an expert do their work. Dealing with electrical or mechanical maintenance in your offices, there is a general acceptance that we don&rsquo;t have the relevant qualifications or experience to stop us from getting electrocuted.</p>
<p>Then we come to recruitment, low barrier to entry, a market that has seen the addition of c.40,000 agencies in the past 20 years. Are we left with the impression that anybody can do it?</p>
<p>Probably, so we&nbsp;<em>must&nbsp;</em>be better at articulating our value and I have absolutely no doubt that there is value to be had.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to what it means to you if you choose to outsource your recruitment in some way. In a similar way that a branding consultant brings your thoughts to life, I believe a quality outsourcing provider builds a process and experience that would be time-consuming and costly to deliver internally.</p>
<p>Taking away all of the headaches that come with a supply chain review, process mapping/documenting, technology investment etc. The results of which create a fantastic function that the client sponsor should have credit for. In most cases, there will be a cost-saving delivery which, if you work in procurement, will often be a prerequisite for buying any solution.</p>
<p>Beyond the headline savings, training and process documentation I believe the most exciting part of an outsourcing relationship is &ldquo;what else&rdquo;. What can we build that attracts apprentices, graduates and &ldquo;second jobbers&rdquo;? How do you make career paths across the business transparent, what educational commitment can be made from both employee and employer to achieve a long-term career goal?</p>
<p>Outsourced providers bring experience, and economies of scale but, perhaps most importantly, they bring a cross-section of expertise that creates a true recruitment function. One that understands it&rsquo;s about you, your business and aiding its success.</p>
<p>Maybe we can help you build recruitment 2.0 in your company and take a good few items off your to-do list&hellip;.</p>
<p>If you want to learn more about how Hintel can support your hiring process, you can email me directly at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:pete@hintel.com">pete@hintel.com</a>.</p>

What is RPO?

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<p>Explore the latest trends in the real estate market, interview influential leaders, and uncover the strategies that drive success in this ever-evolving market.</p>

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We hired entrepreneurs and put enemies into one room.

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