Permanent vacancies in the property sector were down by 0.3% month-on-month and contractor openings by 0.8%, as pay on both sides went up marginally, according to property recruiter Judd Farris.

Permanent salaries were down by 0.45% compared to the previous months, and contractor pay by 0.02%, but Judd Farris’s managing director Lisa Learoyd says that the most notable trend concerns upper-end roles.

Farris says: “There is a trend among design and engineering practices to pull the planning function in house in an attempt to offer their clients an end-to-end service.

“This development is driving an increased demand for planning directors, senior associates and heads of planning.”

Learoyd also says that organisations in the sector are increasingly working with niche facilities management providers, commenting: “This trend is fuelling a demand amongst SMEs for experienced account directors and regional facilities managers.”