Staying Cautious While Taking Action: What Hiring Teams And Candidates Need To Know This Year

Commercial real estate has been wading in a sea of economic uncertainty for years, and 2026 is no different as the industry navigates the impact of global tariffs and the Iran conflict. 

This lingering uncertainty has not stopped the industry from adding to its workforce, according to Bisnow sister company and executive recruiting firm SelectLeaders. April and May in particular have seen both existing and new employer clients reaching out to discuss hiring strategies, said SelectLeaders Enterprise Account Executive Roman Velichko. 

The firm’s associate director of recruiting, Katie Hart, said while hiring managers remain cautious due to economic uncertainty, that caution looks different in recent years. In 2023, the interest rate hikes resulted in lower transaction and development activity, which slowed the rise in open roles from when interest rates were lower. This same sentiment carried over into the following year. 

Since 2025, however, SelectLeaders has been seeing an uptick in roles focused on strategic hiring to improve operations and current assets and drive growth. While this isn’t at the level of hiring from when interest rates were low, firms are hiring in a more deliberate manner, she added. 

This year so far, while caution hasn’t completely gone away, the state of the industry and hiring is looking toward a brighter future, said SelectLeaders Managing Director Ryan Neale. 

“Our analysis of the market is relative to how it’s been over the last couple of years: It’s significantly better in terms of optimism, outlook and deals,” he said.

Development and acquisitions and similar revenue-driving roles are seeing the most traction on SelectLeaders, with the share of total postings growing from 17% to 21% quarter-over-quarter. 

Analyst roles have shown momentum quarter-over-quarter and have stood out as a consistent industry of demand across SelectLeaders and the broader market, Velichko said. While associate roles have been down 21% quarter-over-quarter in openings, they lead the SelectLeaders job board in posting for open roles.

The firm walked Bisnow through CRE hiring trends in the first half of 2026 and how companies and candidates can navigate today’s job market.

Housing And Industrial Hiring Still On Top

SelectLeaders found that between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, job postings in the multifamily sector increased from 19% to 21%, while those in the industrial sector remained stable at 12%.

Within multifamily, the subsectors that have seen the most roles were affordable housing, senior housing and student housing. Hart said this could be attributed to older Class-B and Class-C office assets being converted into housing.

While the industrial sector has benefited from the boom of data centers, it has also been propped up by increases in industrial outdoor storage, warehouses, logistics and advanced manufacturing facilities.

Pay Is Just One Piece Of The Puzzle

SelectLeaders’ compensation analysis, powered by its proprietary data and additional sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is available to its employer clients who want to ensure the salaries they are offering are in line with market averages.

While some firms are willing to invest financially in mid- to senior-level top talent, these may be the hardest roles to fill, especially if the prospective candidate has been at their company for a long time, Velichko said. 

SelectLeaders Senior Corporate Recruiter Brittany Acosta said while financial stability is important, especially in this climate of economic uncertainty, it’s only one part of a candidate’s decision. 

“A positive work experience is also about providing flexibility, a good culture and bonus incentives,” she said. “Companies should think about what they’re offering and what their selling point is.”

AI May Restructure Rather Than Replace Roles

The question on many workers’ minds has been: “Will artificial intelligence replace my job?”

Neale said he doesn’t think the output is there to replace lower-level roles, since in times of high deal flow, companies have a lot on their plates and will need extra support. 

However, with AI tools in the mix, the work itself may change. Employees will be expected to rely on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and creative ideation rather than baseline Excel work.

“AI is iterating off the knowledge base that already exists, so if you have a thought that’s outside the box, that is going to be interesting and unique and can help move the company forward,” Neale said. “The human element is going to be even more critical.”

CRE candidates can use AI to streamline market research as well as other menial tasks for efficiency, build models to analyze information, and review their findings and learn from them, said SelectLeaders Corporate Recruiter Molly Barbino.

Hiring teams can use AI to streamline employee onboarding and training sessions as well as brainstorm job descriptions. However, employers need to ensure they are taking steps to protect important data, such as lease comps and employees’ or clients’ personal information, Barbino said. 

“For us, AI is a balance between curiosity, execution and leveraging these tools, while also being a good steward of the information we have,” Neale said.

Showing Up Is Key For Less Experienced Candidates

One challenge college students and recent graduates may experience is hiring managers favoring candidates with more experience, which means they can spend less time doing on-the-job training, said SelectLeaders associate Caroline Resch. 

Prospective candidates can gain CRE experience through an internship or work experience and start networking with CRE professionals. Candidates with experience should list successfully completed deals on their résumès to show prospective employers what they bring to the table and stand out from others, Acosta said.

“The candidates who come out of college with a LinkedIn following, having attended Bisnow events and are generally curious about who they should meet are the ones who will come out on top,” Velichko said. “Continue knocking on doors. When you put yourself out there and ask for help and advice, you’ll increase your chances of getting a yes.”

How SelectLeaders Supports Today's Hiring Needs

SelectLeaders’ support includes creating job titles and job descriptions, structuring interviews and providing compensation information. 

“We provide guidance from the beginning of the process to the end,” Resch said. “We talk through what aspects you can provide throughout the hiring process to bring the right person in.”

The firm’s recent website redesign includes upgrades to the job search and application process, allowing candidates to more easily find relevant roles and expedite sending applications through the new Easy Apply feature. Employers now have an enhanced workflow and tools to enable them to post new opportunities more efficiently. SelectLeaders’ Candidate Connection platform also enables employers to look for and reach out to top talent.

With hiring bouncing back the last two months, the SelectLeaders team is optimistic about the trajectory for the rest of 2026.

“Hiring has been tricky the last few years, but there are many eyeballs on the job boards, whether that’s driven by candidates who are navigating the job market or employers who are currently hiring,” Neale said.