One of the most common yardsticks for determining the status of a commercial property sector is to ask whether it’s a landlord’s market or a tenant’s market. The answer to that question can depend on a number of factors, not least of which is local conditions including inventory levels and the vitality of the industries that would rent the space.
However, there’s another commercial real estate metric that can seesaw to one side or another: hiring at CRE firms. There, the question is whether the market favors job seekers or their would-be employers.
The principals of CRE recruitment firm RETS Associates have seen this balance shift several times over the years. In a recent blog posting titled “Who Holds the Power in CRE Hiring?,” principals Kent Elliott and Berkeley Davis see it shifting yet again.
“For years, candidates have enjoyed the upper hand, with employers vying to attract the best talent,” they write. “However, recent data suggests a tilt towards an employer’s market.”
Elliott and Davis cited a recent LinkedIn poll which found that 54% of respondents believe it’s now an employer’s market, while 25% still think it’s a candidate’s market. A still-sizable minority of 21% feels that neither side has a distinct advantage.
Although these poll results signify “a notable change in the dynamics of CRE hiring,” Elliott and Davis ask what the implications are for both employers and professionals in CRE.
Link: https://www.connectcre.com/national_topper/drivers-seat-march-24-2025/
