Most commercial property agencies are to stop recruitment due to the credit crunch, according to new research.

The research, from web recruitment solutions firm cvmail, found that 73% of the UK’s top commercial property agencies say they are going to decrease or maintain staff levels next year, while 27% of commercial property agencies will be looking to increase their headcounts. Just over one in 10 (13%) of commercial property agencies said they are going to reduce their number of staff.

Andy Eddleston, commercial manager at cvmail, said: “The slowdown in commercial property transactions appears to have shaken commercial property agents and so we are seeing a widespread pause to their expansion.”