There has been an increase in the number of short-term contract jobs being offered by estate agents.

Estate agency recruitment consultancy Property Personnel reports that there has been a notable change in the type of contracts being offered by agencies since lockdown restrictions were lifted in late May and early June, a higher proportion of which are now limited to a period of between three and six months.

Property Personnel’s managing director, Anthony Hesse, said: “I must have dealt with more short-term contracts in the last quarter than in any previous three-month period throughout my 30 years in the industry.

“In fact, working on short-term contracts is not something that we normally do. Whilst 85% of the UK’s £39bn recruitment industry is generated through temporary contract placement, that is certainly not the case for estate agency. So, this is highly unusual for us and for the sector as a whole. But then we are living in highly unusual circumstances at the moment and this is very much a sign of the times.”

This change in approach reflects the general feeling of uncertainty amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Hesse.

He added: “With restrictions changing all the time, it’s hard enough to book an evening out or a weekend away, let alone a family holiday at the moment.

“Similarly, whilst clients tell me that they are currently rushed off their feet, they have no idea how long this situation will last. Not surprisingly, they are concerned about committing to a long-term employee. Therefore, I am convinced that short-term vacancies are just a momentary stop-gap; a quick fix solution in this current environment.

“Indeed, three or six month rolling contracts are so rare in our industry, there may well be agents around the UK who have not even considered them as an option. Although highly unlikely to attract staff who already have a full time-job, they could be seen as a way of giving people who are not currently working some hope for the future.

“Whilst everyone would of course prefer that new members of staff were offered permanent positions, short-term contracts could potentially make employment more fluid and increase the number of jobs available – in both estate agency and in the country as a whole.”