Want to know how the real estate career market in Melbourne is shaping up? We sat down with Design & Build’s Melbourne real estate recruitment consultant, Liz Mitchell, for a look at career trends and prospects for roles in real estate.

Good candidates can choose their roles

“The most attractive roles for candidates are those that offer a good work life balance and incentives/bonuses.”

Quality real estate candidates are receiving multiple offers from agencies in their preferred areas. It’s extremely important for companies to really understand what it is they are looking for, and to be more flexible with their offers.

Due to the nature of the real estate sales role, there are incentives that agencies can put in place in order to retain staff and attract new members:

• Looking at how many Saturdays they work
• Bonuses for bringing on new business
• Flexibility in hours 
• Car allowance and parking
• Look beyond experience

“With over 1,500 Melbourne real estate jobs advertised on SEEK it must come as no surprise we are in a candidate short market.”

Those who have been in real estate for a long time are looking to move out of the industry and therefore, companies should look at candidates with little experience and focus on personality, attitude and potential. These candidates are much more enthusiastic about getting into real estate. If businesses are happy to train people, they are more likely to obtain great people who will be stable.

Some candidates who are new to the industry have been fantastic and so, this is something that clients need to consider.

Real estate interview processes

“Candidates who have to wait to interview may already have secured another role. This is happening all the time and is frustrating for both me and potential employers.”

These need to be completed in a quick turnaround and possibly, ideally in one day, due to the fast pace of the market.

During interviews clients need to sell their agencies as it’s such a competitive market. Candidates need to understand why it’s good to work for them and ask bold questions about the track record and future growth potential of a prospective agency.

Candidates are aware they are in high demand and employers are having to really work to recruit high-calibre people.

Culture and environment

“Creating a good environment in the office where the managers are supportive, approachable and allow people to feel relaxed is key!”

The culture is another extremely important thing for candidates when choosing where they want to work. Candidates respond positively to team activities and incentives.

Salaries

“I have had a couple of situations with clients where they have offered under what I have presented them at. This causes frustration and will put the candidates off the company, they will find another role where they can obtain the salary they are looking for.”

Flexibility here is becoming more apparent and we advise companies to offer the candidates the salary they are looking for. 

Hiring real estate staff from outside the industry

“A diverse range of skills and experiences can only aid in servicing clients, so I recommend that agencies look beyond the standard pool of candidates.”

Hiring agents from non-real estate backgrounds is becoming more commonplace as agents prioritise innovation, according to Domain Group. Many agency directors say more agencies should look beyond agents trained only in real estate to offer a diversity of perspectives and a fresh approach.

The ability to negotiate and execute deals under pressure is essential in real estate. If a candidate has demonstrable skills and experience in sales negotiation and the right attitude there is no reason why an agency should not consider them for a position. 

Have a look at our current roles in property and real estate.