Insights

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.

Modelling capabilities are needed not only by those in analytical disciplines, but by those within asset management, corporate real estate, development, agency, and other roles in the space. Here, we focus on how employees in these areas can upskill themselves and how to pass that all-important modelling test.

If we could pick one skill-set essential in modern Surveying, would it surprise you to hear financial modelling skills at the top of our list? Traditionally, we’ve seen modelling needed within analytical disciplines, and then within broader real estate professions, we typically saw it within roles explicitly connected to the appraisal of transactions.

This report looks to understand the diversity of the real estate sector, and in particular, across those organisations that are part of Real Estate Balance and those that haven't yet joined. It also includes a guide for those on their diversity journey to improve inclusive hiring practices.

At this year’s UKREiiF, we saw a focus on the development of three key areas: housing, alternative assets, and ESG as a trait running through all areas of the built environment. Find out what this means for recruitment in these spaces.

​In recent years, there has been a noticeable transformation in real estate financial advisory services. Find out more about boutique real estate financial advisory firms and how different they could be for your career here.

​UKREiiF this year underscored the transformative potential of renewable energy, highlighting its importance for the planet and the professional opportunities available within it in the real estate sector. See our insights from it.

With bonus season in real estate generally coming at the end of March, is your organisation ready for what happens next? Our near quarter of a century as a specialist consultancy to the real estate sector has taught us that this is one of the busiest periods for employee resignations and moves in the space, with between 20-40% more jobs typically available in the sector during April and May.