Sydney Real Estate Candidate Market 2025: Still Tight, Just Different
Let’s break down what we saw in the Sydney 2025 Real Estate Recruitment market.
If you work in Sydney residential real estate, you don’t need a data set to tell you the market is tight, you’re living it every day. But the numbers backing it up in 2025 are hard to ignore, and they’re shaping a very specific, very competitive candidate landscape.
The short version?
Jobs are holding up. Property is still moving. Rents are high. And quality candidates know they’re in demand, especially in property management.
Property Managers: The Pressure Point
If there’s one role that defines the 2025 talent squeeze, it’s property management.
Industry commentary over the last few years has been blunt:
Recruiters and industry bodies have been warning of a skills shortage in property management, driven by an ageing workforce, limited training pathways and low attraction for younger workers.
“Exit wave” analysis from 2024 highlighted property managers leaving in significant numbers due to stress, legislative burden and burnout.
Meanwhile, demand on the ground hasn’t eased:
Sydney rents have surged over recent years, and while the pace of growth is starting to slow, demand for rentals remains high with vacancy rates low.
Sydney dwelling values continued to climb into mid-2025; NAB’s August 2025 report shows house values up around 2.9% annually and units also tracking positive.
Government forecasts still point to a significant uplift in Sydney housing supply through the second half of this decade, meaning more dwellings to manage and more compliance to oversee.
All of that flows straight back into the candidate market:
Senior PMs are fielding multiple offers.
Salary expectations have pushed up, particularly for roles with large portfolios, complex legislation or limited support.
Candidates are prioritising workload, culture and support over a small bump in salary.
Many will only move for a clear improvement in both money and lifestyle (team structure, flexibility, reduced weekend work, clear boundaries).
For employers, this means that a standard “we’re offering market salary and a great team” pitch isn’t enough anymore. You need proof.
Sales & Leasing: Opportunity for the Right People
On the sales and leasing side, the story is a little different.
Sydney’s property market is steady-to-positive in 2025:
House and unit values are nudging upwards, and average days on market sit around the mid-30s.
Inner-city apartment completions have already surpassed 2024’s total this year, keeping the rental market active and opening up more leasing volume.
This has created a candidate market where:
Leasing roles are a genuine career pathway into sales or senior PM for switched-on juniors.
High-performing BDMs, sales associates and established agents are being courted aggressively, often with sign-on bonuses, better splits or access to higher-value suburbs.
Offices are increasingly willing to invest in training and mentoring for hungry, inexperienced candidates – but expectations around work ethic, presentation and resilience are higher than ever.
The candidates who are winning:
Communicate clearly what GCI they want to build towards.
Show evidence of prospecting discipline and database management.
Understand that brand, marketing and digital presence matter as much as cold calls.
Real Estate & Property Roles: Job Ads Rising Again
After a softer patch in 2023–24, recruitment activity across real estate has kicked again in 2025.
SEEK data shows job ads across the Real Estate & Property category up about 14.2% year-on-year nationally by mid-2025.
KPMG’s labour market update notes that recruitment activity broadly has rebounded through the first half of 2025 after easing in 2023–24.
Translated into real life in Sydney:
More leasing and sales associate roles coming to market as offices chase listing volume.
Ongoing demand for experienced Senior Property Managers and Heads of Department as rent rolls grow and compliance pressure increases.
Support roles (assistants, administrators, marketing coordinators) being rebuilt in offices that ran leaner over the past few years.
But even with rising job ads, the candidate side is not keeping pace – especially in property management.
Final Takeaway
The Sydney 2025 real estate candidate market isn’t “broken” - it’s just evolved.
Candidates are more informed, more selective and more values-driven.
Employers who cling to old salary bands and vague promises are struggling to hire.
Agencies who offer clear progression, realistic workloads and genuine leadership are filling roles faster and holding onto their people longer.