What does Bullpen do?
Bullpen is a permanent recruiting firm for the built world. We recruit hard-to-find talent across commercial real estate, construction, development, asset management, and property operations — and we've made 800+ placements with a 78% repeat-client rate. Our average time to first candidate slate is about four days.
What types of companies do you work with?
We work with growing companies across the built environment — investors, developers, builders, lenders, and property managers. Our clients range from small, regional investment firms to publicly traded REITs and large national contractors.
What markets do you serve?
All 50 states. From NYC and Houston to Bozeman, MT, we recruit wherever our clients operate. Searches can be local, regional, or remote — we calibrate sourcing to where the talent actually lives and where you need them to be.
I thought Bullpen placed freelancers into fractional roles — do you still do that?
Yes, but under a new brand. At the end of 2025 we spun our fractional and freelance business out into its own company: OnDeck (ondeckre.com). Bullpen is now 100% focused on permanent, direct-hire placements. OnDeck handles hourly, part-time, project, and interim CRE engagements. Same team, same vetting standards, two purpose-built brands.
Which one do I need — Bullpen or OnDeck?
If you're hiring a permanent W2 employee, you want Bullpen. If you need hourly, project-based, fractional, or interim help — a freelance underwriter for a deal sprint, a fractional asset manager, a maternity-leave backfill — you want OnDeck. Not sure? Reach out and we'll point you to the right team.
What roles do you recruit for?
Across our five core verticals:
- Investors: Acquisitions Analyst/Associate, Asset Manager, VP of Asset Management, Investor Relations, Financial Analyst, Underwriter
- Developers: Development, Project Management, Entitlements, Head of Development, + lots more
- Builders (Construction): Project Engineer, Project Manager, Superintendent, Estimator, Head of Construction, + lots more
- Lenders: Originations, Credit, Underwriting, Portfolio Management, + lots more
- Property Managers: Operations, Property Management, Maintenance, Leasing, + lots more
Plus cross-functional roles like Real Estate Accountant, Marketing Specialist, Market Analyst, and Transaction Coordinator. See current live searches for a real-time view.
For vertical-specific comp benchmarks, our compensation & hiring guides cover everything you need to know.
What if my role isn't on that list?
We've placed in nearly every CRE and construction niche. Tell us what you need — we'll tell you honestly if it's a fit and what a realistic search looks like.
How does a Bullpen search work?
Three steps:
- Intake & market calibration. We learn your role, culture, and comp band, then run market research so we're not hunting unicorns.
- Outbound, curated shortlist. The best CRE and construction talent isn't applying to LinkedIn posts. We headhunt, screen, and present a shortlist of A-players — typically within four days.
- Placement & onboarding. We coordinate interviews, case studies, references, and onboarding, and we stand behind every placement.
More detail on our process.
How do you vet candidates?
Vetting is woven through our entire search process, not a single checkpoint. Before anyone reaches your inbox, they've been through:
Targeted sourcing. We build the candidate pool from our existing CRE network — thousands of relationships across investment, development, construction, capital markets, and property management — plus targeted research into firms that match your profile. We approach people directly and confidentially, one at a time. No mass emails, no job-board applicants.
Structured assessment. Every candidate has at least one structured conversation with our team focused on track record, deal experience, deal economics, decision-making, and motivations. Our competency framework is CRE- and construction-specific, not generic.
Informal back-channel references. Before any candidate is formally introduced, we reference them inside our network — talking to people who've actually worked with them, not just their listed references.
Written candidate write-ups. You receive 4–6 written profiles, not just resumes — covering fit, gaps, comp expectations, motivations, and timing. We only present candidates we'd defend in detail to your CEO or board.
How much does Bullpen cost?
Three flexible pricing models depending on how you hire:
- Embedded recruiting — 12.5%+ monthly subscription. Best when you're hiring 2+ people per year. Includes an embedded recruiter on your team, weekly pipeline reviews, and ATS/process build-out.
- Retained search — 20%+ with a small retainer. Best when you're committed to the right hire. Top priority on our bench plus a replacement guarantee.
- Contingent search — 25% on placement. No upfront commitment, shortlist within one week, replacement guarantee.
Do you offer a replacement guarantee?
Yes. If a placement doesn't work out within the guarantee window, we re-run the search.
How do I start a search?
Talk to our team or book a meeting directly. We'll scope the role, align on comp, and have a first slate in your inbox in about four days.
