Agents facing nightmare as fuel allowances fail to keep with petrol costs
Leading recruiter Sally Asling reveals that many candidates who drive high mileages are reluctantly moving jobs to avoid huge fuel bills.
A leading estate agent recruiter has claimed that the fast-rising cost of petrol and diesel is causing huge problems for many estate agents.
This follows news over the weekend that the cost of filling up a family car has hit £100 as petrol hits £2 a litre.
Sally Asling says many agencies have not adjusted their fuel allowances for business mileage getting to and from appraisals and viewings, leading to a cost negative situation on reclaiming fuel.
“I wonder if estate agency bosses are looking at fuel allowances at the moment? Because trust me, it’s an issue,” she adds.
Asling, who works for Rayner Personnel, says this is now leading some people to consider leaving their current job in part to look for an employer who pays a sustainable business mileage.
She says estate agent candidates that she’s been handling who are required in their current roles to drive high mileages have said they ‘simply cannot afford to subsidise the cost of the fuel they’re buying’.
“Negotiators, Listers and Managers who are using their car for business are really feeling the pinch,” she says.
“Several candidates last week said they are doing 100+ miles a day on viewings and that the milage rebate they receive is cost negative.”
Asling reports that one candidates told her that they were trying to reduce the number of viewings they do because “I cannot afford to keep filling up”.
“But I have KPIs to hit and one of those is the number of viewings. I cannot win – I feel in despair and desperate because I love the job. It’s just I would be better off elsewhere.”
