5 Things Shaping Residential Development Customer Care Hiring Right Now

Insights from the deverellsmith Salary Guide & Trends Report 2026

The customer care function in residential development has been through a significant period of consolidation. Slower sales rates, cost control, and sector mergers have combined to reshape the function fundamentally. Here's what that means for professionals and businesses operating in this space.

1. Customer care is being absorbed into broader customer experience functions

The traditional separation between customer relations and customer care teams is disappearing. Businesses are increasingly merging these functions into unified customer experience roles, with Customer Experience Coordinators and Managers now expected to manage the full aftercare lifecycle from handover through to the end of the warranty period. The result is wider remits, heavier workloads, and a fundamentally different job description to what existed just a couple of years ago.

2. Job availability has fallen sharply

The consolidation of functions has had a direct impact on the number of roles available. Opportunities within customer care have declined by an estimated 50% or more compared to the previous financial year. Ongoing mergers across the new homes sector have compounded this trend, creating further redundancies and significantly intensifying competition for the roles that do exist. For professionals in this space, the market is considerably tighter than it was.

3. Responsibility has grown, but pay has not kept pace

Salary movement across customer care has remained largely static despite the expanded scope of many roles. Broader customer experience positions now typically command around £55,000 compared to £50,000 previously, but that modest uplift does not fully reflect the increased responsibility professionals are absorbing. Bonuses have frequently not been paid, and leaner team structures mean fewer managers are carrying significantly more work without corresponding reward. At senior levels, director-grade roles remain scarce.

4. Technology proficiency is now a core requirement

In an environment where teams are leaner and remits are broader, adaptability has become essential. Strong IT proficiency, and in particular the ability to quickly learn new or bespoke CRM systems, is now a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. Professionals who can demonstrate comfort with technology and the ability to get up to speed quickly on new platforms are considerably better placed in the current market.

5. The function will recover, but expectations will remain high

Looking ahead, customer care roles are expected to return gradually as market conditions improve. However, the function that emerges will look different to what came before. Businesses will continue to favour professionals who can operate across multiple disciplines, manage the full customer journey, and demonstrate strong technical capability. The days of narrowly defined customer relations or customer care roles are unlikely to return in the same form.

For full salary data and hiring trends across Residential Development Customer Care, download the deverellsmith Real Estate Salary Guide & Trends Report 2026.

About the Author

Tabitha Allingham | Manager, New Homes & Later Living

With 4 years of experience working in real estate recruitment, Tabitha's passion for customer service and her enthusiasm for a challenge have led her to head deverellsmith's New Homes team. Her team specialise in connecting sales and aftercare professionals with London's top developers and agencies. In addition to her work within the New Homes space, Tabitha has founded deverellsmith's Later Living department, a sector she is profoundly passionate about.