What it takes to attract and retain new homes talent in a cautious market
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I'm Tabitha, and I've spent over five years on the New Homes team at deverellsmith, recruiting sales, marketing and customer care roles across London and the South East. On our latest devcast podcast, I sat down with my colleague Annie McAllister to discuss what is genuinely happening with new homes talent right now.
Between a slower sales market, shifting buyer demographics and candidates who are far more discerning about where they move, hiring in new homes has changed.
Why are new homes candidates moving, or staying put?
There are two distinct camps of candidates in the market at present.
The first are pursuing opportunity. They are looking at developers with larger land banks, and want to use a difficult market to raise their profile, build a reputation and make a tangible impact.
The second are only looking because their circumstances have changed. That might be a redundancy, a restructure, or having their opportunity to earn commission capped.
What unites both camps is caution. The last 12 months have been turbulent enough that candidates need real conviction before committing to a move. People remain open to conversations, and in an uncertain market many assume the grass is greener on a higher basic or better plot commission. But it takes a genuinely strong interview process to persuade someone to leave. They have to believe in the business they are moving to.
Where is new homes talent moving to?
We have seen a marked increase in activity across the Home Counties and the Midlands over the last 12 months.
Much of this is driven by the buyer market. International buyers have dropped off, so developers are concentrating on the domestic market and regional developers are hiring accordingly. Packages have followed. Home Counties salaries now regularly rival London salaries, which was not the case a couple of years ago.
There is also movement out of the sector altogether, which is a wider issue worth acknowledging. New homes sales is built around on-site marketing suite working, which means the hours are not the most sociable. We have seen a steady drain of candidates into sectors offering home working or their weekends back. That leaves a smaller pool of people open to weekend working, and attracting from a smaller pool is harder.
What should developers be doing in the interview process?
In an uncertain market, interviewing needs to be a two-way street. Developers shouldn’t just be assessing whether a candidate is right for the role - they need to be selling the opportunity too. The role, the business, the culture and, importantly, the opportunity for progression all need to be compelling enough for candidates to want to make the move.
That means speaking fluently about what the role looks like on the current site and where that person could move afterwards. Talk them through sales rates. Reassure them that the product is selling, and where the sales rate is more challenged, set out the plan to improve it. If a candidate does not believe they can achieve the OTE you have quoted, the OTE is doing no work for you.
Keep the process efficient. Nobody wants five interviews for a sales consultant role. Know what you are assessing at first interview, and by the time you have met somebody three times you should be in a position to offer.
What has happened to salaries and bonuses in new homes?
Basic salaries have moved forward over the last 12 months, more so than the year before, across both London and the Home Counties.
OTEs are a different picture. With sales rates more challenged, the opportunity to earn commission and bonus has been harder, which is precisely why candidates are placing greater weight on the basic. People want assurance on the guaranteed element of the package when they are less certain about the variable one.
Developers who have not kept pace with where basics now sit will find it difficult to attract and retain talent.
What does a strong job search look like in new homes?
The fundamentals still win, particularly in a market where you may be competing against candidates who have been made redundant and need the role more than you do.
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Personalise your CV for every role you apply for
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Write a cover letter
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Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn
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Arrive early
Beyond that, be prepared in the broader sense. Give proper thought to your experience, your USP, your strongest suit and where you want to go next. When you meet a recruiter, know your non-negotiables, whether that is work-life balance, earning potential or location.
Be open-minded, too. When there are fewer roles available, consider what else your skill set could do. Could a sales background translate into business development? Could a customer service background translate into an operational role? There are more avenues than people assume.
On progression, the long-standing advice still holds. Do not become comfortable. Put your hand up for the meeting, volunteer for the additional project, and ask for feedback as often as you can rather than waiting to be led.
Are house building targets translating into hiring?
Confidence has improved, but hiring remains measured.
Job flow is stronger than at this point last year. In many cases, though, these are replacement roles, and they are happening on a need-to-hire rather than a want-to-hire basis. There are pockets of growth and opportunity, but many businesses are still watching their cost base closely.
Affordability is the theme running beneath all of it. Following the loss of Help to Buy, developers are having to be increasingly creative with incentives to bring first time buyers into the market, and far more of their marketing is now directed at owner occupiers rather than international investors.
Hiring has also become a question of quality rather than volume. Where we might previously have seen a shortlist of five candidates for a replacement role, we have recently had up to 12 interviews before a developer found the right person. Businesses are more willing to wait for someone who genuinely understands the market and the demographic.
What is the outlook for the next 12 months?
Optimistic, on balance.
With interest rates continuing to stabilise, buyer confidence should improve, and we have already seen more activity in the last couple of months than at the same point last year. I do not anticipate anything dramatic, but I do expect a steady increase in hiring, and for that to shift from replacing headcount into genuine growth roles.
Salary growth is likely to be modest. The more significant change should be earning potential, because a stronger market and improved buyer confidence mean healthier commission and bonus across the board, from the most junior roles to the most senior.
The most encouraging development is developers reinstating their academy models. This industry badly needs new talent coming through. Without it, the same CVs simply circulate.
Frequently asked questions
Why are new homes candidates reluctant to move at the moment?
Most candidates have watched a turbulent 12 months and want certainty before committing. They are weighing up a developer's pipeline, the credibility of the OTE and the culture of the business, not simply the basic salary on offer.
Are new homes salaries higher in London than the regions?
Not by the margin they once were. Basic salaries in the Home Counties now regularly rival London salaries, as developers concentrate on the domestic market and hire across the Home Counties and the Midlands.
What can developers do to stand out to new homes candidates?
Demonstrate longevity. Show a healthy pipeline, a competitively priced product, a realistic route to the OTE, and a benefits package that extends beyond earnings. Flexibility around weekend working remains one of the strongest differentiators available.
How many interview stages should a new homes sales role have?
Two or three. If you have met somebody three times, you should be in a position to offer. Protracted processes lose strong candidates, particularly where they are weighing up several options.
Is hiring in new homes picking up?
Job flow is stronger than at this point last year, though much of it is replacement hiring rather than growth. Expect a steady increase over the next 12 months, with academy and trainee models beginning to return.
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