The commercial real estate job market is challenging, competitive, and often frustrating. Many professionals spend months applying for roles through LinkedIn and job boards with little success, wondering why opportunities seem so difficult to access.
In a recent Cambridge Finance webinar, Maria Wiedner, Founder of Cambridge Finance, sat down with Lily Bergman, Founder of Smart Cookie Jobs and a specialist real estate recruiter with nearly a decade of experience and more than 200 placements across the built environment sector.
Their discussion revealed how hiring actually works in commercial real estate, why many roles never make it to public job boards, and what candidates can do to improve their chances of landing their next role.
The Biggest Misconception About Job Searching
Many candidates assume that all available jobs are posted on LinkedIn.
According to Lily Bergman, this is simply not true.
Large firms such as CBRE and JLL often have internal recruitment teams and may advertise roles publicly. However, many small and mid-sized real estate companies operate differently. These businesses often rely on recruiters, referrals, and direct applications rather than paying to advertise every vacancy online.
Some firms don’t advertise certain positions at all.
This means candidates who rely exclusively on LinkedIn are only seeing a portion of the market.
What This Means for Job Seekers
Rather than waiting for jobs to appear online, candidates should:
- Identify companies they genuinely want to work for
- Visit company career pages directly
- Set up job alerts on company websites
- Submit speculative applications
- Build relationships with recruiters and industry professionals
The most successful candidates don’t just react to job postings—they actively create opportunities.
Why Relationships Matter More Than Applications
Real estate remains a relationship-driven industry.
Whether you’re targeting investment management, asset management, development, valuation, or consulting roles, networking continues to be one of the most effective career-building tools available.
Lily emphasized the importance of becoming a familiar face within the industry by attending:
- ULI events
- RICS events
- Alumni gatherings
- Industry conferences
- Professional networking sessions
The goal isn’t to ask for jobs.
The goal is to build genuine relationships and establish your presence within the market.
Over time, those connections often lead to opportunities that never reach public job boards.
How Recruiters Actually Work
Many professionals misunderstand the recruiter’s role.
Recruiters are not career coaches. They are hired by companies to solve hiring problems.
This means recruiters focus on candidates who can immediately deliver value to their clients.
For junior professionals, direct applications are often more effective than relying heavily on recruiters.
For mid-level and senior professionals, however, building a strong relationship with a trusted recruiter can provide access to opportunities that remain hidden from the wider market.
One Recruiter vs Multiple Recruiters
A common mistake candidates make is sending their CV to numerous recruiters simultaneously.
This can create situations where multiple recruiters submit the same candidate to the same employer, which often raises concerns for hiring managers.
Instead, Lily recommends developing a strong relationship with one recruiter who:
- Understands your career goals
- Knows your strengths
- Understands your motivations
- Can represent you strategically
Trust and consistency matter.
The Importance of a Tailored CV
One of the most practical recommendations from the webinar was creating a “master CV.”
Your master CV should contain:
- Every role you’ve held
- All technical skills
- Certifications
- Projects
- Key achievements
From there, tailor each application to the specific role and company.
Rather than submitting the same CV repeatedly, candidates should align their experience with the requirements of each position.
Using AI the Right Way
Interestingly, Lily advised against using AI to write your CV from scratch.
Recruiters are increasingly able to identify AI-generated content.
Instead:
- Write your own master CV.
- Use AI to compare your experience against a specific job description.
- Create a tailored version for that role.
- Review and edit manually.
Human judgment still matters.
Financial Modelling Remains Essential
For professionals targeting investment management, private equity, asset management, and acquisitions roles, one message was crystal clear:
Financial modelling remains one of the most important technical skills in real estate.
Despite advances in artificial intelligence, employers continue to test candidates’ modelling capabilities during recruitment processes.
Why?
Because real estate decisions are ultimately driven by investment performance and deal analysis.
Professionals must be able to:
- Build models
- Understand assumptions
- Analyse scenarios
- Validate outputs
- Explain investment decisions
AI can assist with certain tasks, but it cannot replace a professional who understands how and why a model works.
As Maria pointed out, financial modelling remains a core competency across many institutional real estate roles, particularly in:
- Private equity
- Investment management
- Lending
- Credit
- Asset management
Is AI Becoming a Hiring Requirement?
While AI dominates headlines, recruiters are not yet seeing widespread demand for “AI skills” in real estate hiring.
The reason is simple:
AI means different things to different organisations.
Some companies use AI for:
- Data extraction
- Workflow automation
- Reporting
- Document review
Others use external consultants rather than hiring dedicated AI specialists.
At present, candidates should focus on mastering their core technical competencies first rather than expecting AI knowledge alone to create a competitive advantage.
How International Candidates Can Stand Out
International students and professionals face additional challenges, particularly around visa sponsorship.
However, employers will often invest in sponsorship when a candidate brings unique value.
The webinar highlighted several ways international candidates can differentiate themselves:
Leverage Language Skills
Multilingual candidates often have a significant advantage.
Language capabilities can open opportunities in:
- International investment
- Capital raising
- Family offices
- Cross-border transactions
- Client relationship management
Develop a Niche
Employers are more willing to sponsor candidates who bring expertise that is difficult to find locally.
This could include:
- Regional market knowledge
- Specialist technical skills
- Financial modelling expertise
- Unique sector experience
Start Networking Early
Don’t wait until graduation.
Begin building relationships with employers and recruiters before entering the job market.
Strong relationships often create opportunities before formal recruitment begins.
The Hidden Market Is Real
One of the most important takeaways from the webinar was the existence of the “hidden market.”
Many opportunities are filled through:
- Recruiter networks
- Referrals
- Existing relationships
- Direct outreach
before they ever appear publicly.
This is why candidates should ensure their LinkedIn profiles clearly communicate:
- Their sector experience
- Technical skills
- Years of experience
- Career interests
- Areas of expertise
Recruiters frequently search LinkedIn databases using specific keywords, making profile optimisation essential.
Final Thoughts
The current real estate hiring market is undoubtedly competitive, but opportunities still exist.
The candidates who succeed are rarely those who simply submit the most applications.
Instead, they are the professionals who:
- Build meaningful industry relationships
- Develop strong technical skills
- Position themselves strategically
- Target the right employers
- Understand how hiring decisions are actually made
As the webinar highlighted, securing your next role in commercial real estate isn’t just about having a strong CV.
It’s about having a strategy.
And in today’s market, strategy matters more than ever.
