September 6, 2018
Chris Jackson
In this edition of The Hiring Squad, Jana Turner, principal at RETS Associates (RETS), a leading national real estate recruiting firm, connects with Chris Jackson, regional managing partner at Stream Realty Partners (Stream), one of the fastest growing leasing and management companies in the nation. The two discuss Stream’s expansion in the Southern California market and how engaging an industry-leading recruiting partner resulted in the hiring of real estate veteran and now Executive Managing Director, Martin (Marty) Pupil, to support the company’s growth.
Jana Turner (JT): What led to Stream’s Southern California market expansion and the need to hire an executive managing director?
Chris Jackson (CJ): With a growing portfolio of more than 160 million square feet of industrial, office, retail and healthcare leasing and management assets, Stream is committed to growing and expanding across all service lines and product types in Southern California. To support company growth, Stream’s Southern California office needed a highly-productive individual with a wealth of industry knowledge and regional market experience to expand our office, industrial, and retail platforms in Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Beyond a strong leader and producer, we needed an individual who truly matched our culture – someone who understands how we think and operate.
When it comes to market expansion, companies often focus on how fast they want to grow instead of how they need to grow sustainably. At Stream, our strategy is not to staff quickly. Instead, we find the best talent in the market to bolster our highly-skilled and effective team.
JT: When trying to fill this position, did the company face any hiring challenges, and if so, how did Stream overcome them?
CJ: At Stream, it’s unusual for us to engage outside talent acquisition support. However, when trying to hire an executive managing director in Southern California, we found ourselves starting from scratch. We didn’t have the resources or deep reach into the local talent pool to get in front of the right candidates. We needed the support of a recruiting partner with market knowledge and close relationships with industry professionals in Southern California.
As we were trying to fill this position, I was introduced to RETS Associates, and as I learned more about the firm, I was very impressed with their network and how well-versed they are in the commercial real estate industry. We decided to engage RETS in the search and with its support, we hired real estate veteran Marty Pupil to lead and manage the company’s real estate service offerings across all product types in Southern California.
JT: How does the addition of Marty Pupil allow Stream Realty Partners to meet its business objectives?
CJ: Marty is very well respected in the industry and has a tremendous amount of credibility in the Southern California market. He brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise in real estate development, brokerage and asset management to Stream. He’s an exceptional addition to the team. A candidate of his caliber not only strengthens our ability to expand in Southern California, but enhances our credibility with existing and prospective clients, as well as other top talent.
JT: Do you have any advice for commercial real estate companies looking to hire executive-level industry talent?
CJ: The key to success is to engage a recruiting partner who truly understands your brand, business goals and company culture. A good partner like RETS will allow you to develop more relationships than you would on your own. One thing to remember is that finding executive-level candidates can take time. These candidates are less likely to sit around waiting for your call. My advice is to be proactive in your outreach, and leverage the expertise and industry reach of a well-connected recruiting partner to help strengthen and expedite the hiring process.