Insights

Cobalt's read on the UK's leading real estate investment and infrastructure forum, from our team on the ground in Leeds across all three days.

Diversity in the property sector is improving, with gender pay gaps narrowing and greater transparency emerging. However, representation at senior levels, psychological safety and inclusive leadership remain critical to achieving lasting progress across real estate and construction.

Wednesday Market Insights from Cobalt, Edition 1 UKREiiF Review: Realistic, not Optimistic what UKREiiF 2026 actually said.

Featuring insight from industry leaders at the UK’s leading property developers, housebuilders, REITs, and investment firms, The Development Index 2026 is an all-encompassing appraisal of what’s happening across the development lifecycle now, and what employers and employees within it need to know going into 2026 and beyond.

New research reveals that the UK development industry is entering 2026 with cautious optimism but is still held back by deep-rooted staffing challenges that are slowing delivery and squeezing project viability. The Development Index – produced by real estate and construction hiring specialist, Cobalt Recruitment – captures the current challenges, along with the opportunities and pressures shaping the year ahead.

Cobalt is delighted to announce the return of James Wakefield as Executive Chair, effective 1 December.

Read the highlights from the Spotlight on the Skills Gap event that RICS and BE News hosted, where Cobalt was invited to take part in a hackathon to resolve the sector's skills gaps, and MD Maria Sinclair was part of a panel of sector leaders debating the topic.

Held at RICS HQ in Westminster on 27–28 October, the Spotlight on the Skills Gap event, organised by BE News and Hackathons UK on behalf of RICS, will bring together policymakers, professional bodies, and industry experts to explore creative, collaborative ways to close the growing gap in talent across both blue-collar and white-collar professions.   As event sponsors and panel participants, we’re looking forward to making meaningful contributions to the conversation.  

First came the Northern Powerhouse, then the Levelling Up agenda – and now we have The Great North. Here we explore how changes in policies have shaped the built environment, what they'll mean for the sector over the next decade, and what skills are in-demand and where across the property lifecycle as a result of them.

While planning, projects, and partnerships were standout themes of UKREiiF 2025, people emerged as a fourth, equally crucial pillar, as without the right people, progress in any of the other three areas is limited. See the skills most in-demand from our conversations and the talks at UKREiiF 2025.

From large-scale infrastructure to local regeneration schemes, the energy at UKREiiF 2025 reflected a shift in sentiment. See our roundup of how the common themes from it - planning, projects, partnerships and people, will form the backbone of growth in UK real estate over the coming years.

Cobalt Recruitment is delighted to announce the appointment of Maria Sinclair as the new Managing Director of its UK operations. With more than 25 years of experience in the recruitment sector, including over two decades at Cobalt specialising in Real Estate, Maria is uniquely positioned to drive forward the company's strategic growth and deepen its service offering in the UK market.