Employee benefits in property: What top talent really wants in 2026

Understanding the Modern Employee Benefits Landscape 

Benefits packages have shifted from supplementary offerings to decisive factors in candidate decision-making. Salary alone no longer secures top talent, and employers who fail to recognise this are finding themselves at a competitive disadvantage. 

A compelling benefits offering forms a critical component of any Employer Value Proposition (EVP), and understanding where your package sits relative to the market is essential for both retention and recruitment. 

Based on candidate feedback and market research, deverellsmith has developed a tiered framework to help employers benchmark their offerings and identify what it takes to attract high performers. 

The three-tier employee benefits framework 

Bronze: Meeting the baseline 

Bronze-level packages represent statutory minimums. While compliant, they struggle to differentiate employers in a candidate-driven market. 

Typical Bronze benefits may include: 

Employers offering Bronze packages frequently experience higher turnover and extended time-to-hire. These packages rarely secure experienced professionals or senior candidates, particularly in competitive markets. 

Silver: Competitive and considered 

Silver packages demonstrate genuine investment in employee wellbeing and career development. These employers typically achieve stronger retention and attract mid-to-senior level talent. 

Silver-level offerings may include: 

Silver packages represent the benchmark for growing property businesses. They signal commitment without the overhead of premium offerings, making them particularly effective for mid-market recruitment. 

Gold: Market-leading packages 

Gold-tier employers set the industry standard. These packages attract, and crucially, retain, the highest performers. 

Gold-standard benefits may include: 

Gold packages are increasingly prevalent among institutional landlords, major developers, and private equity-backed platforms. For senior and specialist appointments, these benefits often prove more persuasive than base salary increases. 

“Our clients are increasingly focused on building benefits packages that genuinely reflect the needs of their people. Those who get this right are seeing stronger engagement, better retention, and a clear advantage in attracting top talent” 

What Different Generations Value 

Candidate expectations vary significantly by demographic, and recognising these distinctions is essential when defining your EVP.  

It is worth noting that no single Employer Value Proposition will appeal to everyone. Identifying your target candidate profile, whether graduate or experienced professional, enables employers to tailor their proposition accordingly. 

Building and communicating your benefits proposition 

A strong benefits package only delivers value if it is effectively communicated. We advise employers to audit their current offering against this framework, research what motivates their top performers, and understand what passive candidates would require to consider a move. 

Once defined, the proposition must be marketed consistently, both internally through regular employee touchpoints, and externally via recruitment materials, social media, and employer branding initiatives. The benefits extend beyond recruitment: clients and customers increasingly want assurance they are working with businesses that attract and retain exceptional talent. 

Critically, the messaging must reflect reality. Organisations that present an aspirational EVP that fails to match the actual employee experience will quickly find themselves exposed. Authenticity is non-negotiable. 

Recommendations 

For employers: Audit your current package against this framework. If you are recruiting in competitive markets, Silver should be the minimum standard. Consider which Gold elements might differentiate your offering without significant cost increases, flexible working and enhanced leave often cost less than anticipated whilst delivering meaningful impact. 

For candidates: Use this framework to evaluate opportunities objectively. A higher base salary with Bronze benefits may prove less valuable than a competitive salary with Silver or Gold provisions. 

If you want to benchmark you Employer Value Proposition and the benefits packages that you offer your employees, get in touch with deverellsmith 

To see more insights on how to retain talent in real estate, download our recently released Rental Living Salary Guide. 

About the author: With 5 years’ 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. She excels at helping clients discover exceptional talent while making a meaningful impact in the Later Living space, which fuels her dedication and success in her role.