iscover
Real estate leaders consistently complain about recruiters. Those complaints are usually justified, yet despite this frustration, businesses continue paying recruitment invoices. Jacqui Barnes, Laing+Simmons head of people and growth, a former recruiter herself, says if owners and principals don’t demand better, they shouldn’t expect anything to change.
Most real estate principals will have received a blanket email from a recruiter that goes something like this:
“We have a high-performing business development manager/experienced property manager/top agent/(insert other specialty) who we think would be an ideal fit with your company and make a big difference to your team. See résumé attached.”
But there has been no prior conversation with you. They have no idea if you are even hiring.
There has been no discussion about what your business actually needs.
So, without this critical work, the candidate’s résumé has little chance of being fit for purpose. Often, it is several years out of date. There are missing roles. No results verification. No reference checks.
In short, it’s of no use.
Searching over speculation
Even if a principal decides to pursue a conversation with the candidate in the scenario above, and they happen to speak with that candidate at a later stage, it triggers the expectation of a recruitment fee of $20,000 or more.
The recruiter hasn’t solved a hiring problem; they’ve simply forwarded a name and claimed ownership of the candidate. Yet across the industry, we keep accepting this as a professional service.
Unsurprisingly, free of actual scrutiny, there are new real estate recruiters popping up all the time. But most of the time, they are not raising the bar; they are joining a race to the bottom.
Real estate businesses regularly pay recruitment fees between $20,000 and $30,000 for experienced hires. That level of investment should represent a professional search process, not a speculative introduction. We should reasonably expect that the recruiter has already done thorough work.
Without this, recruiters are merely résumé distributors, and this does not justify a fee in the tens of thousands. Nor does it elevate our profession. Rather, it erodes trust.
Great recruiters do exist
The good news is that there are actually outstanding recruiters in real estate, and when you work with one, you realise the difference immediately.
A great recruiter takes the time to understand your business, understands the role before presenting candidates, challenges your thinking if the brief is unclear, introduces candidates you would otherwise not have met, and manages the process from first conversation to final offer professionally.
In many cases, they operate as an extension of the leadership team, providing a level of service that justifies the fee. The problem is, real estate has quietly accepted a much lower standard for too long.
Our responsibility
It’s easy for business owners to criticise recruiters, but the reality is, we are part of the problem.
If the industry wants recruitment standards to improve, we need to expect more from the process. It begins with understanding what good recruitment practice looks like.
Good recruiting means properly interviewing the candidate, ensuring their résumé is current and accurate, verifying results and experience, checking licensing and compliance, speaking with referees, and understanding why the candidate is genuinely considering a move. It also involves providing a clear explanation to principals as to why the candidate has been presented.
We must understand what good recruitment looks like. We then need to demand it.
Their opportunity
Real estate is a relationship-driven industry. The recruiters who thrive long-term are those who build trust on both sides of the hiring equation.
They don’t just send résumés. They understand hiring needs and solve hiring problems.
The broader recruitment market has an opportunity to raise the bar because when it’s done properly, the value it creates for businesses and careers is enormous.
The real estate industry doesn’t need fewer recruiters. It needs recruitment done properly. And that starts by recognising the difference between a professional search and a very expensive email.
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