The Weekend Working Dilemma: The Reality of Saturdays in Estate Agency
Following our recent conversations about modernising employment practices in the property sector, there is one sticking point that keeps coming up between candidates and small business owners: the weekend.
When we speak to younger or newer candidates at Worth Recruiting, "weekends off" with "a 5-day work week" are frequently at the top of their wish lists. It is completely understandable that the incoming generation values their time off and wants a healthy work-life balance.
However, let’s be brutally honest. While large corporate agencies might have the financial padding and staffing power to trial 4-day work weeks, the vast majority of independent estate and lettings agencies are small businesses.
For them, completely overhauling the 5.5-day week, or not having staff working every Saturday, in a highly competitive local market simply isn't financially viable.
So, how do small agencies attract talent who want flexibility, without sacrificing their busiest days?
It comes down to reframing the reality of the job, setting clear expectations, and shifting the mindset.
The Reality: Saturday is the Main Event
We cannot escape the reality of the property market.
Saturday is when most buyers are free for viewings. The people buying the houses usually work standard Monday to Friday jobs, meaning they rely entirely on the weekends to view properties and make life-changing financial decisions.
If an independent agency shuts its doors on a Saturday, operates with a skeleton crew of inexperienced weekend temps or worse still, hands their calls over to an AI call service, they will quickly lose instructions to the competitor down the road who is open and hungry for the business.
Estate agency is a service industry, which involves making yourself available to the public outside normal working hours.
The Retail Mindset
To solve this issue, hiring managers need to change how they "sell" the role to younger candidates during the interview process.
Estate agency is not a standard 9-to-5 administrative office job – Estate and Letting agents fit around the needs of their customers.
It is much closer to high-end retail: In the retail sector, nobody expects the shop to close on a Saturday because that is exactly when the customers actually have the time to browse and buy.
We need to instil this same retail mindset in new property professionals. If you want to make sales, you have to be on the shop floor when the buyers are walking through the door.
The Earning Potential: Where the Money Is
Working a Saturday shouldn't be framed as an archaic punishment; it should be framed as a massive financial opportunity. A commission based on a percentage of each sale an estate agent makes is typically paid on top of their income.
If Saturday is the busiest day for viewings, it is naturally the busiest day for generating offers. By being present, proactive, and ready to work on the busiest day of the week, agents put themselves directly in the path of their next commission cheque.
We need to remind ambitious candidates that the sacrifice of a Saturday is exactly what funds the lucrative OTEs they want to achieve.
Realistic Flexibility for Small Businesses
Just because a small independent agency cannot offer a shorter working week does not mean they get a free pass on flexibility. If you are asking staff to work Saturdays, you must still protect them against burnout, particularly if you are looking to attract new staff and retain existing employees!
Small businesses can offer "realistic flexibility" by:
Protecting the Lieu Day: If an agent works a Saturday, their day off during the week must be sacrosanct. They should not be expected to answer their phone, check emails, or deal with vendor emergencies on their designated day off.
Quality Over Quantity: Rather than making everyone work every single Saturday, can you move to a strict alternating rota or even 1-in-3 so they can actually plan their family lives and get a weekend off
The Worth Recruiting View: Estate agency will always require hard work, and the weekend will always be the battleground where the best agencies get the viewings, hold the open days, do the deals and win their fees.
By reframing Saturday working as a lucrative, retail-style opportunity rather than a burden - while still offering genuine respect for days off in lieu - smaller agencies can still attract the hungry, driven talent they need to thrive.
Looking to attract great property people? Call the Property Recruitment Team at Worth Recruitingon 01372 238300 or email: toptalent@worthrecruiting.me
