Having spent the last 19 years recruiting qualified finance professionals across Real Estate, Investment Management and Property, Mark Lawson, Principal Consultant at PSD Group, has seen the market through the financial crisis, COVID, the interest rate cycle and today’s refinancing environment.
2026 feels different.
The finance recruitment market hasn’t slowed down, it has changed.
At PSD Group, this is playing out across retained and contingent searches for Real Estate CFOs, Finance Directors, Heads of FP&A and senior finance leaders throughout the Real Estate and Asset Management sectors.
There are opportunities across investment and asset managers, developers, banks, alternative lenders, family offices and property companies. However, the skills employers are looking for today are very different from those they wanted even two or three years ago.
Through conversations with CFOs and Finance Directors across the Real Estate sector, we have found that the conversation is rarely about finding another accountant. Instead, employers are looking for finance professionals who can influence commercial decisions, understand capital markets, embrace technology and help businesses navigate a more complex investment landscape.
The Real Estate Finance Talent Shortage at Mid-Management Level
Finance professionals with five to ten years’ post-qualified experience remain the most competitive part of the market. Senior Financial Accountants, Finance Managers, FP&A Managers and Real Estate Fund Accountants are in exceptionally high demand.
The challenge is finding accountants with both strong technical foundations and genuine commercial instinct. That combination is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The profile employers want has evolved. They’re looking for people who can:
- Build forecasts and scenario models.
- Partner with investment and asset management teams.
- Understand debt structures, refinancing and cash flow.
- Challenge commercial performance rather than simply report it.
We are also seeing growing demand for finance professionals who are comfortable using Power BI, Yardi, MRI, SQL and other data tools alongside traditional finance systems. Data literacy is quickly becoming a differentiator rather than simply a desirable skill.
For employers involved in Real Estate finance recruitment, candidates with both commercial acumen and strong data skills are among the hardest professionals to secure.
Why Senior Finance Leaders Are Moving Less Frequently
At Head of Finance, Head of FP&A, Finance Director and VP level, the challenge isn’t a shortage of talent, it’s a shortage of available talent.
Many senior finance leaders have stayed with their current employer through refinancing activity, interest rate rises and organisational change. They are established, respected, well rewarded and understandably selective about making a move.
When they do move, it’s usually for one of three reasons:
- Genuine career progression.
- Exposure to a different asset class or investment strategy.
- The opportunity to influence the direction of a growing business.
Salary and package still matter, but they’re rarely the deciding factor on their own.
How Operational Real Estate Is Changing Finance Recruitment
One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen is where investment capital is flowing. Logistics, Build-to-Rent (BTR), PBSA, Later Living and Data Centres continue to attract significant investment, and each brings its own operational finance challenges.
Finance leaders with experience across these asset classes are increasingly valuable because they understand occupancy, operational performance, capital expenditure and long-term investment returns.
That experience can’t be developed overnight, which is why specialist Real Estate finance talent is becoming both scarcer and more expensive.
The Evolving Role of the Real Estate CFO
Today’s Real Estate CFO does far more than oversee finance. They are leading refinancing projects, supporting acquisitions and disposals, managing investor relationships, improving systems and helping businesses make better decisions through data.
The most sought-after CFOs combine four key strengths:
- Capital markets and funding expertise.
- Commercial leadership across the wider business.
- Experience leading transformation across systems, reporting and operating models.
- Building finance teams that act as genuine business partners rather than simply a back-office function.
Increasingly, boards want finance leaders who help shape and deliver strategy, not just report on performance.
As a result, Real Estate CFO recruitment is increasingly focused on leadership capability, transformation experience and strategic influence, rather than purely technical finance expertise.
London vs. Regional Real Estate Finance Jobs
There is always an interesting regional dynamic, and currently London continues to command a salary premium, particularly across private equity, investment management, REITs and larger listed property businesses.
However, businesses across the Home Counties and the Midlands are competing successfully by offering:
- Greater flexibility through hybrid working.
- Broader roles with more exposure to executive leadership.
- Equity or long-term incentive opportunities.
- Better work-life balance through shorter commutes.
For many candidates, that is becoming a compelling alternative to a traditional London-based role.
What This Means for Employers Hiring Finance Talent
The businesses hiring most successfully in 2026 are doing a few things differently.
They are:
- Looking beyond a perfect sector match and hiring adaptable finance talent.
- Assessing commercial and stakeholder skills alongside technical accounting ability.
- Moving quickly when they identify the right candidate and condensing interview processes.
- Selling the opportunity, the wider business and the growth story, not just the salary.
The days of advertising for the “perfect” ACA or ACCA-qualified candidate with identical Real Estate experience are becoming increasingly rare.
What We’re Hearing from CFOs and Finance Directors in 2026
Across the market, conversations with CFOs and Finance Directors frequently centre around similar challenges:
- “We need someone who understands private credit and refinancing.”
- “We need an FP&A leader who can influence the investment team, not just finance.”
- “We can’t find candidates with both Real Estate experience and strong Power BI or systems capability.”
- “We need someone who understands AI and automation but can also explain the commercial impact.”
These aren’t isolated challenges. They are becoming common themes across the market and are shaping Real Estate finance recruitment trends throughout 2026.
Our View
Real Estate finance remains one of the strongest specialist recruitment markets in the UK, but it has become far more selective than before.
Whether you’re a developer, investment manager, lender, REIT or family office, the competition isn’t simply for qualified accountants. It’s about finding finance leaders who combine technical expertise with commercial influence and the ability to drive change.
The best candidates have options, and the best employers are thinking much harder about how they attract, engage and retain them.
One trend stands out across the market:
“The strongest candidates are becoming increasingly selective, while employers are becoming increasingly specific.”
Businesses across Real Estate, Investment Management and Property are facing increasingly specialised finance recruitment challenges. The demand for Real Estate CFOs, Finance Directors, FP&A leaders and commercially-minded finance professionals continues to outpace supply across many areas of the market.
If your business is experiencing challenges attracting Real Estate finance talent, CFOs, Finance Directors or FP&A leaders, PSD Group would be pleased to discuss current market trends and hiring strategies.
