Why Developers Are Hiring Before the Market Fully Recovers

Wates Group's acquisition of Manor Oak Homes, adding 52 land sites across the Midlands, was one of the week's most significant residential development stories. While the headlines focused on the transaction itself, the acquisition may signal something much bigger about where the market is heading.

For the past two years, much of the conversation across residential development has centred on planning reform, viability challenges, rising costs and slower housing delivery. Those issues haven't disappeared. Yet despite ongoing uncertainty, some developers are making strategic decisions that suggest they're looking beyond today's market conditions.

Rather than waiting for complete certainty, they're investing in future pipeline, strengthening their land positions and ensuring they have the capability to deliver when market conditions continue to improve.

From a residential development recruitment perspective, we're beginning to see similar signs.

That reflects what we found in Cobalt's Development Index 2026. Drawing on insight from senior leaders across property developers, investors, housebuilders and REITs, one theme emerged consistently: organisations aren't simply looking to fill vacancies they're becoming far more selective about the capability they bring into their businesses as they prepare for the next phase of the market.

What Does the Wates Group Acquisition Tell Us About the Market?

Large land acquisitions rarely happen in isolation. They often reflect long-term confidence rather than short-term optimism.

Acquiring land isn't simply about today's projects; it's about creating opportunities several years into the future. Businesses making these investments are planning ahead, recognising that development cycles extend well beyond current market conditions.

This reflects many of the conversations taking place across the industry. While planning reform, funding challenges and viability remain important considerations, leading developers are increasingly asking a different question:

How do we ensure we're ready when projects move forward?

That shift from reacting to current conditions to preparing for future delivery is becoming increasingly noticeable.

It's a theme echoed throughout Cobalt's UKREiiF Market Insights, where developers, investors and lenders consistently spoke about moving from cautious optimism towards preparing organisations for delivery rather than simply waiting for certainty. Capital is returning to parts of the market, but businesses are increasingly focused on building the capability needed to deploy it successfully.

Are Residential Developers Hiring Again?

Hiring across the residential development sector remains measured, but there are clear signs that activity is returning in specialist areas.

At Cobalt Recruitment, we're seeing increasing conversations with developers and land promoters who are beginning to map out their hiring requirements across land, development and strategic land functions.

Rather than reacting to immediate vacancies, many organisations are taking a longer-term approach to workforce planning, recognising that attracting experienced professionals often takes time.

Adaora Onuora, Recruitment Consultant – Land & Development, Cobalt Recruitment

"Over recent weeks, I've spoken with a number of developers and land promoters who are actively planning their hiring needs across land, development and strategic land functions. The businesses positioning themselves today are often the ones thinking beyond the current market cycle and preparing for what's next."

This doesn't necessarily represent a return to widespread hiring across every discipline. Instead, it reflects growing confidence among organisations with strong pipelines and a clear long-term strategy.

Our Development Index supports this observation. Rather than increasing headcount indiscriminately, employers are becoming more targeted in their recruitment, prioritising professionals who can influence commercial outcomes, navigate planning complexity and contribute across multiple stages of the development lifecycle.

Why Are Developers Recruiting Before the Market Fully Recovers?

Recruitment in residential development has always been closely linked to confidence, but waiting until projects are fully mobilised can create its own risks.

Experienced land and development professionals remain in limited supply, and competition for specialist talent can increase quickly as market confidence strengthens.

Businesses that begin workforce planning early are often better positioned to secure the skills they need before demand accelerates.

This aligns with insights from Cobalt's Development Index, which highlights that strategic workforce planning is becoming increasingly important as organisations prepare for future growth.

Which Skills Are Residential Developers Looking For?

Hiring isn't simply increasing; it's becoming more selective.

According to Cobalt's Development Index, employers are moving away from purely transactional hiring and placing greater emphasis on individuals who combine technical expertise with commercial judgement.

Across land and strategic land functions, organisations are increasingly looking for professionals who can:

Assess planning risk alongside land value. Understand infrastructure constraints and political context. Evaluate ESG and funding considerations. Bridge land acquisition and planning strategy. Make commercially informed decisions throughout the development lifecycle.

Rather than focusing solely on identifying land opportunities, employers are prioritising evidence-based opportunity selection, long-term promotion strategies and professionals who understand how planning, funding and infrastructure decisions influence future value.

The Development Index also highlights that purely transactional land acquisition skills are becoming less valuable than strategic thinking and commercial judgement. Employers increasingly want balanced teams capable of identifying opportunities while understanding the wider planning, regulatory and investment landscape.

For development professionals, demand is strongest for candidates with cradle-to-grave experience people who understand how decisions made during land acquisition, planning and design ultimately influence project viability, delivery and investor confidence.

What Does This Mean for Employers?

For employers, the message is clear: workforce planning shouldn't begin when projects are ready to break ground.

The organisations making strategic investments today are often the same businesses thinking carefully about how they'll resource future delivery. Securing experienced professionals early can reduce recruitment pressures later and provide greater flexibility as projects progress.

Our Development Index suggests that organisations are increasingly looking for adaptable professionals capable of working across disciplines rather than narrowly defined specialists. Those investing in capability today are likely to be better positioned when project pipelines accelerate.

In an increasingly competitive recruitment market, hiring ahead of demand is becoming a genuine competitive advantage.

What Does This Mean for Development Professionals?

For candidates, the market continues to reward specialist expertise.

While opportunities may be more selective than during previous growth cycles, businesses are actively looking for professionals who can add long-term value to their organisations.

Candidates who combine commercial awareness with planning knowledge, stakeholder management and an understanding of ESG, viability and emerging technologies such as AI are increasingly differentiating themselves in the market.

For experienced professionals across land, development and planning, this creates opportunities to join businesses investing in future growth rather than simply responding to immediate demand.

Looking Ahead

The residential development market still faces genuine challenges. Planning reform, viability pressures, funding constraints and slower delivery continue to shape decision-making.

However, what we're increasingly seeing from major land acquisitions through to conversations with clients isn't blind optimism.

It's calculated preparation.

Cobalt's Development Index found that employers are becoming increasingly selective about the people they hire, placing greater value on strategic thinking, commercial judgement and professionals capable of navigating an increasingly complex development landscape.

Recruitment has always been one of the earliest indicators of market confidence. If the conversations we're having today continue, the businesses investing in capability before the market fully recovers are likely to be the ones best positioned to capitalise on the next phase of growth.

Whether you're strengthening your development team or considering your next career move, understanding where the market is heading has never been more important.

Explore Cobalt's Development Index for deeper market insight, read our UKREiiF Market Insights, or speak with Adaora Onuora and our specialist Land & Development team about the latest hiring trends across residential development.