Recruit. Train. Retain: The Growth Blueprint for Letting Agents With Inside Talent

In this episode of Rethinking Rentals, Gurman Bains is joined once again by Josh Rayner, founder of Inside Talent, for an honest conversation about why traditional recruitment models are no longer fit for purpose, and how property businesses can rethink hiring, onboarding and retention.

About Our Guest

Josh Rayner is the founder of Inside Talent and Rayner Personnel, and brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. Having helped hundreds of property businesses grow their teams, Josh launched Inside Talent to offer a more strategic and embedded approach to recruitment—one that puts long-term success above short-term hires.

Inside Talent combines hiring support, onboarding systems, training, and benefits into one integrated platform. Their mission: help agencies reduce attrition, improve employee experience, and scale teams the right way.

Redefining Recruitment in the Property Industry

Josh highlights a core issue in the lettings sector: recruitment is often reactive and transactional. Many agencies hire quickly to fill gaps, without first defining what success looks like in the role. This lack of clarity leads to poor cultural fits, underperformance, and ultimately, high churn.

Inside Talent flips the model by embedding with clients, understanding their team dynamics, and creating structured hiring frameworks. As Josh puts it: “If you’re not clear on who you’re looking for, how can you expect to find them?”

Onboarding as a Retention Tool

The conversation moves into the crucial role of onboarding in retention. Agencies that fail to provide structure and support in the early days of a new hire’s journey often lose talent before they’ve had a chance to settle.

Josh notes that many small to mid-sized agencies lack the time or resources to build onboarding programmes—which is where Inside Talent steps in. Their platform offers automated training pathways, performance check-ins, and clear documentation to help new hires hit the ground running.

What Today’s Talent Actually Wants

Beyond salary and commission, Josh explains that today’s employees—particularly younger agents—value career development, wellbeing, and purpose. With this shift in mindset, agencies need to move away from the old “sink or swim” model and invest in their people.

He discusses how Inside Talent’s platform includes staff benefits, development plans, and progress tracking, helping agencies retain top performers in a highly competitive talent market.

The Business Case for Better Hiring

High attrition is not just a cultural issue—it’s a financial one. Josh outlines the hidden costs of a bad hire, from recruitment fees to lost productivity and reputation damage. By implementing better hiring practices, agencies can reduce these costs and improve team stability—critical for growth.

He also discusses how employer branding plays a role. Candidates today research agencies before applying, meaning that a poor online reputation or lack of clarity around values can actively deter good applicants.

Final Thoughts

Josh closes by encouraging letting and estate agents to take hiring seriously—not as a reactive task, but as a key pillar of business growth. With competition for talent fiercer than ever, agencies that get ahead on culture, onboarding, and retention will be the ones who thrive.