Property Management Accounting Recruitment in 2025
So, what’s in store for Property Management Accounting in 2025? To get an understanding of what’s to come, we look back below at the trends from 2024 to help guide what’s likely to happen this year.
Salaries: Stability Amidst Change
Salaries across the board, from transactional finance roles to senior leadership positions, remained stable throughout 2024. There was little movement in pay scales, which reflects market stability but also indicates a cautious approach to remuneration due to broader economic conditions.
Bonuses: Impact of Financial Uncertainty
Bonus structures were however impacted in 2024, with some businesses announcing early on that departments would not be receiving bonuses due to financial cuts. This decision caused some unrest within teams, leading to increased employee turnover as people sought more secure opportunities. From a financial perspective, many companies were unable to offer additional rewards at year-end due to budget constraints.
Hybrid & Office-Based Working: Shifting Preferences
The ongoing debate about hybrid working continues to shape recruitment, with many businesses returning to more office-centric models. We’ve seen a rise in companies requiring a 4-day in-office schedule or full 5-day office attendance. While a small number of candidates are open to this, the majority continue to prioritise flexibility. Hybrid working remains a top desire for many candidates, and businesses that demand more in-office presence are facing a smaller talent pool, leading to longer recruitment processes. The desire from candidates is a 3-days in the office and 2-days WFH split.
Cost Efficiency and Technology Integration: Driving Innovation
Predictive maintenance, automated rent collections, and data analytics are all being used to reduce expenses and improve decision-making across roles in the PMA space. These technologies not only streamline operations but also enhance service quality, contributing to better customer satisfaction. In 2024, tech adoption was a major focus as companies aim to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world, with those effectively adapting to this seeing the benefits.
Diversification of Assets: Strategic Shifts in Portfolios
In response to economic uncertainties, many businesses are diversifying their portfolios to mitigate risk. Commercial assets, particularly retail parks and shopping centres, are showing signs of recovery, but the biggest strategic shift has been in logistics and warehouse spaces. The rise of e-commerce has driven increased demand for these types of properties. Similarly, many businesses are adding residential assets to their portfolios to balance risks and ensure profitability should another economic downturn occur. This has had a knock-on effect on the skills required by property accountants, with those that have experience in these areas in greater demand by organisations.
Recruitment: Rising Demand for Project-Based Hires
Recruitment in property management has been heavily influenced by this portfolio restructuring, and project-based work. Fixed-term contract (FTC) hires have seen a significant uptick, with many businesses bringing in additional resources for transitional projects, typically on 6-12 month contracts. While permanent hires still account for a majority of placements (around 60%), the increase in FTCs and day/hourly rate contracts (about 40%) reflects the project-driven nature of the market this year.
Outsourcing and Redundancies: Efficiency Measures in Accounting Teams
We’ve seen a trend of accounting teams being outsourced, either to regional offices or globally, as businesses look for cost-saving measures. For companies without other office locations, redundancies have been a frequent response, with many absorbing workloads across existing teams or consolidating operations to reduce overheads. This has impacted recruitment for accounting roles, as businesses strive to balance efficiency with operational needs.
For a full understanding of the typical roles in PMA and their salaries, download our real estate finance salary guide from 2024, or for a greater understanding about the roles that are evolving in PMA, what other organisations in the sector are changing as part of their departments or more on the skillsets that are in the greatest demand in 2025 and how to recruit for these or upskills within them to benefit your career, please get in touch with us below.
