What 1000 Property & Construction Professionals Told Us About Saying “Yes” to a New Role
When considering a new role, it’s rarely just one factor that matters.
We recently asked our network:
“What makes you say yes to a new role?”
The results were clear:
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Salary & benefits — 37%
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Career growth — 24%
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Leadership & support — 20%
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Clear workload & expectations — 19%
At first glance, salary wins.
But the deeper insight?
63% of candidates prioritised something other than money.
And that tells us far more about the 2026 talent market than the headline number.
Salary Is the Entry Ticket, Not the Differentiator
In real estate, property, development and construction, remuneration has tightened over the past 24 months.
Rising cost of living, project volatility, higher interest rates and leaner pipelines have all sharpened financial focus for professionals.
It’s no surprise salary came out on top.
But here’s what we’re seeing across the market:
When two offers are within 5–10% of each other, salary rarely determines the final decision.
The deciding factors are:
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Who they’ll report to
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How clear the role expectations are
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Whether there’s real progression
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How commercially exposed they’ll become
Money opens the conversation.
Growth closes it.
Career Growth Is Quietly Becoming the Power Lever
Nearly a quarter of respondents prioritised career growth.
In our day-to-day conversations with candidates across:
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Residential and commercial real estate
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Retail portfolio management
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Development management
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Commercial fit-out
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Multi-residential and education projects
One theme keeps repeating:
“I don’t want to move sideways.”
Professionals are thinking longer term.
Contract Administrators want stronger commercial input.
Property Managers want portfolio scale or asset-backed progression.
Retail Managers want regional or national oversight.
Development professionals want ownership, not just coordination.
The market is shifting from transactional moves to strategic ones.
Candidates aren’t just asking:
“What will you pay me?”
They’re asking:
“What will this role make me in 3 years?”
That’s a much harder question for employers to answer and a powerful opportunity for those who can.
Leadership & Support: The Retention Multiplier
20% prioritised leadership & support.
That number is significant.
Why?
Because strong leadership directly impacts:
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Performance
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Retention
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Reputation
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Referral pipelines
In construction and development environments especially, leadership quality can make or break projects.
We’ve seen professionals leave well-paid roles due to:
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Reactive leadership
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Poor communication
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Lack of commercial transparency
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Unrealistic programme expectations
Conversely, candidates will accept slightly lower remuneration for:
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A respected industry leader
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Mentorship
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Clear decision-making structures
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Exposure to strategic discussions
Leadership is becoming a competitive advantage in talent acquisition.
Clarity Around Workload: The Burnout Factor
19% prioritised clear workload & expectations.
In isolation, that might seem low.
In context, it’s critical.
Across property and construction sectors, we’ve seen:
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Under-resourced PM teams
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Development pipelines expanding without headcount growth
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CAs absorbing procurement, programme and variation management simultaneously
Professionals are increasingly asking:
“What does success actually look like in this role?”
Clarity signals:
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Organisational maturity
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Operational discipline
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Respect for performance metrics
Employers who can clearly articulate workload boundaries and KPIs build immediate trust.
What This Means for Employers in 2026
The data points to one key insight:
Salary gets attention. Structure, growth and leadership secure commitment.
If you want to attract and retain top-tier professionals in real estate, development and construction:
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Ensure remuneration is competitive — but don’t rely on it.
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Clearly map progression pathways.
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Invest in leadership capability.
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Define expectations before the offer stage.
The strongest hiring strategies we’re seeing right now include:
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Transparent salary banding
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Defined 12–24 month growth milestones
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Early commercial exposure for mid-level professionals
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Strong onboarding frameworks
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Structured mentoring
Top performers are not just choosing employers.
They are choosing trajectory.
The Market Is Maturing
The property and construction talent market is becoming more commercially aware and more strategic.
Professionals understand leverage.
They understand visibility.
They understand consequence.
And increasingly, they’re choosing roles that align with long-term positioning, not short-term gain.
For candidates, the question becomes:
Are you moving for comfort — or for acceleration?
For employers, the question is sharper:
Are you offering more than salary?
Final Thought
Salary won our poll.
But growth, leadership and clarity collectively outweigh it.
That’s the real story.
At Gough Recruitment, our conversations go deeper than job descriptions.
We focus on alignment, trajectory and long-term success, because that’s what today’s market demands.
If you’re considering your next move or reviewing your talent strategy — let’s talk.