CRE Advisory & Consulting Recruiting and Staffing
CRE Talent Group recruits and staffs consultants and advisors for firms that serve corporate real estate teams. These professionals help occupiers with portfolio and workplace strategy, operating models, technology selection, and change management. We fill these roles on a contract or direct-hire basis, from analysts to practice leaders.
CRE Advisory & Consulting roles we recruit for
Titles vary from one organization to the next, so each role below is described by what the work involves.
Portfolio and real estate strategy consultant
Helps occupiers plan their footprint, location strategy, and occupancy cost against business plans.
Workplace strategy consultant
Uses utilization data, employee research, and design input to recommend how much space a client needs and how it should work.
CRE technology advisory consultant
Guides selection, implementation planning, and data strategy for IWMS and workplace platforms such as IBM Maximo Real Estate and Facilities (formerly TRIRIGA), Planon, and Archibus by Eptura.
Operating model and transformation consultant
Designs corporate real estate team structures, outsourcing models, governance, and processes.
Change management consultant
Helps employees and leaders adopt new workplaces, policies, and tools.
Lease advisory and audit consultant
Reviews leases and landlord charges, supports lease accounting, and advises on lease options.
Engagement manager, director, and practice leader
Leads client engagements and teams, develops new business, and builds the firm's practice.
What makes CRE advisory and consulting hiring hard
Consultants need two kinds of skill
Strong candidates combine corporate real estate depth with consulting skills: structuring problems, managing clients, and producing clear written work.
Strong practitioners and strong consultants are different profiles
Many occupier practitioners have the domain expertise and less consulting experience, while many consultants have broad client experience and less hands-on depth. The right mix depends on the role.
Utilization and travel shape fit
Billable targets, travel, and multiple concurrent clients suit some candidates very well and others poorly.
Senior roles carry business development
At director and practice leader level, the ability to win work and build relationships matters as much as delivery.
What to look for in a CRE advisory and consulting hire
Use these as a starting point for your job description and interview plan.
Credibility with CRE leaders
Experience inside or alongside occupier teams, so clients trust their advice quickly.
Structured problem solving
Clear thinking about how to frame a client question, gather evidence, and reach a recommendation.
Written and presentation quality
Consulting work is judged on deliverables. Look for clear, concise writing and presentations.
Client management
Handling scope, expectations, and difficult conversations with senior stakeholders.
Business development, for senior roles
Evidence of relationships, proposals, and work they have won.
How we evaluate CRE advisory and consulting candidates
Every candidate is assessed on the same four dimensions, written up in a candidate assessment that comes with their resume. For this specialty, that means:
- Relevant experience
- Client types, engagement types, and whether their background is primarily occupier-side, consulting-side, or both.
- Functional expertise
- Depth in their area, such as portfolio strategy, workplace strategy, technology, or operating models, tested through how they explain past engagements.
- Delivery capability
- Engagements they led, their role on each, the deliverables they owned, and what changed for the client as a result.
- Role fit
- Utilization, travel, and business development expectations, and the level of the role, compared with what the candidate wants next.
Contract staffing or direct hire?
We fill these roles on either basis. Here is where each tends to fit.
Contract staffing
Contract consultants are a good fit for specific expertise on a specific engagement.
Often a good fit for
- Subject matter experts for a single engagement
- Extra capacity during a busy delivery period
- Occupier-side practitioners supporting a client project
- Covering an engagement role during a leave
Direct-hire recruiting
Direct hire fits roles that build the firm's bench and practice.
Often a good fit for
- Consultants and senior consultants
- Engagement managers and directors
- Practice leaders
- Analysts joining a consulting career path
Not sure which fits? Choose "Not sure" on the Hire Talent form and we will recommend an approach based on the work.
CRE Advisory & Consulting hiring questions
What does a corporate real estate consulting firm do?
Corporate real estate consulting firms advise occupiers on how to plan, run, and improve their real estate. Typical work includes portfolio and workplace strategy, operating model design, technology selection, and change management. Some firms also provide lease advisory and audit services.
Can occupier practitioners move into consulting roles?
Yes, and many make strong consultants because clients trust their hands-on experience. The transition goes best when the candidate already structures problems clearly, writes well, and is comfortable with utilization targets and travel. Our assessment covers each of these alongside domain expertise.
Do you provide contract consultants for a specific engagement?
Yes. Contract staffing works well when a firm needs a subject matter expert or extra capacity for one engagement. We assess contract candidates on the specific expertise the engagement requires and how quickly they can work with your team and client.
What do you assess for senior consulting roles?
For engagement managers, directors, and practice leaders, we assess domain depth, engagement leadership, team development, and business development. We ask about engagements they led and work they won, and how they managed client relationships over time.
More corporate real estate specialties
CRE Technology & Systems
IWMS, lease administration systems, workplace technology, and real estate data roles for corporate real estate teams, CRE technology vendors, and implementation partners.
Portfolio, Transactions & Lease Administration
Portfolio strategy, transaction management, and lease administration roles that manage the leases, sites, and occupancy decisions behind a corporate real estate portfolio.
Workplace & Facilities
Workplace experience, facilities management, and integrated facilities management (IFM) roles that run and improve the spaces where employees work.
Projects & Capital Delivery
Project management and capital program roles that deliver office fit-outs, relocations, and building improvements on time and on budget.
Hiring for CRE advisory and consulting?
Tell us about the role and get a shortlist, with a written assessment for every candidate. If you work in this field, submit your profile for current and future openings.