Our process
A search process built around great talent.
Most recruiting agency searches go wrong in predictable ways. Here's how we recruit differently.
Our principles
How we think about recruiting.
Five convictions that shape every engagement we take on. Tap one to read more.
Principle 01
Specialization compounds.
The CRE talent market is small, relationship-thick, and segment-specific. The person who fits a PE-backed multifamily acquisitions seat in Dallas isn't substitutable for an industrial development hire in the Inland Empire. Generalist firms default to keyword-matched resumes; we make the opposite trade - narrower scope, deeper coverage.
The process
Designed for consistent, good outcomes.
Seven stages, from kickoff through onboarding. You'll know what we're doing - and why - at every step.
- Day 1
Intake & role calibration
60 minutes with the hiring leader and key stakeholders to map the role, the team, the first-12-months success metrics, and the dealbreakers. We bring our own data on what comparable seats are paying right now in your sub-market and segment.
- Day 2
Market mapping
We build the target pool from our existing CRE network - spanning thousands of relationships across real estate investment, development, construction, capital markets, and property management - plus targeted research into the firms that fit your profile.
- Weeks 1-2
Outreach & engagement
We approach candidates directly, confidentially, and one at a time, not via mass emails or job posts. The candidates worth pursuing are usually not looking. You get a weekly update with response rates, conversations held, and candidates passed on with reasons. No black-box weeks.
- Ongoing
Assessment
Before any candidate reaches you, we've had at least one structured conversation focused on track record, deal experience, deal economics, decision-making, and motivations. Our competency framework is CRE-specific. We also reference informally inside our network before any candidate is formally introduced.
- Weeks 2–4
Presentation & interviews
You receive 4–6 written candidate write-ups - not just resumes - covering fit, gaps, comp expectations, motivations, and timing. We walk through them together, coordinate interviews, debrief after each round, and refresh the slate if the initial pool isn't landing.
- Weeks 4–6
Close & offer
We manage offer mechanics, counter-offer dynamics, comp negotiation, and the human side of getting a senior CRE professional to leave a firm they like. We're the buffer between you and the candidate when those conversations get sensitive, and we stay close through the resignation window.
- First 90 days
Onboarding & first 90 days
We check in with both you and the placed candidate at 30, 60, and 90 days. Most issues that turn into a year-one departure show up in the first six weeks - and are addressable if caught early. We're built to catch them.
What we won't do
Where we draw the line.
Some recruiters have a bad reputation. Here's what they do - and what we do instead.
Pad shortlists with weak resumes to look productive.
Commit to quality over volume, always.
Go quiet when a search gets hard.
Surface why it's stuck and restructure the approach with you.
Forward anyone who clears a keyword filter.
Only present candidates we'd defend in detail to your CEO or board.
Take any search to win the fee.
Decline searches outside our real estate and construction niche and refer you to a firm we trust.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Ready to make your next great hire?
Bullpen is your connection to top talent - from one-off searches to embedded recruiting.