Full job description

Job Title: Talent Acquisition Specialist / Headhunter

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: Country Manager

Job Purpose:

Responsible for sourcing, attracting, and recruiting top real estate talent including sales consultants, property finders, brokers, and support staff using both traditional recruitment methods and proactive headhunting to identify and engage top-performing, licensed, and experienced professionals in the local real estate market.

Key Responsibilities:

Sourcing & Recruitment

• Proactively source and headhunt experienced real estate agents, property consultants, brokers, and property finders from competitor agencies and the wider market.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of licensed agents and high-performing sales talent for ongoing and future hiring needs.
• Identify passive candidates, top-performing agents currently employed elsewhere and approach them discreetly and professionally.
• Source support roles as needed (administration coordinators, marketing, listings coordinators, CRM support, etc.).
• Leverage industry-specific channels: real estate forums, property portals' career sections, LinkedIn, agent networking events, and referrals from existing top performers.

Recruitment Process Management

• Partner with sales managers and department heads to understand target profiles, required licenses (e.g., brokerage license, RERA/municipality requirements where applicable), and performance expectations.
• Draft compelling job postings tailored to attract commission-driven, target-oriented real estate professionals.
• Screen CVs and portfolios, assess track record (closed deals, listings managed, client portfolio) and conduct initial interviews.
• Coordinate interviews with sales leadership and assess cultural and performance fit.
• Manage full recruitment cycle from sourcing to offer and contract stage.

Industry-Specific Vetting

• Verify candidates' real estate licenses, brokerage registrations, and property finder permits are valid and up to date.
• Assess candidates' existing client base, market specialization (residential, commercial, luxury, off-plan, etc.), and language capabilities relevant to the local market (e.g., Arabic, English).
• Evaluate track record through past sales performance, portfolio size, and market reputation where possible.

Candidate Experience & Relationship Management

• Maintain professional, timely, and discreet communication — especially important when headhunting agents currently employed at competing agencies.
• Build long-term relationships with high-performing agents in the market for future opportunities, even if timing isn't right immediately.
• Negotiate commission structures, packages, and terms competitive with market standards.
• Protect confidentiality throughout the process, particularly for passive candidates being poached from competitors.

Employer Branding & Market Intelligence

• Position the company as an attractive destination for top real estate talent through social media, agent testimonials, and industry events.
• Track competitor hiring activity, commission structures, and benefits to remain competitive in attracting talent.
• Attend real estate industry events, property expos, and networking functions to build talent relationships.

Administration & Reporting

• Maintain candidate and agent records in the ATS/CRM system.
• Track recruitment metrics: time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source of hire, agent retention rate post-hire.
• Ensure all hires meet local regulatory and licensing requirements before onboarding.
• Prepare hiring status reports for sales leadership and HR management.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with sales directors and branch managers to forecast headcount needs based on business growth and targets.
• Provide market insight on where top talent is concentrated (which competitor agencies, which market segments).
• Coordinate with HR for onboarding, licensing verification, and contract issuance.

Requirements:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• 2-5+ years in talent acquisition or recruitment, ideally with real estate or a commission-driven sales industry background.
• Existing network within the local real estate market is a strong advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong headhunting and sourcing skills (LinkedIn Recruiter, industry portals, Boolean search).
• Understanding of real estate licensing requirements and market structure (brokers vs. property finders vs. agents).
• Excellent negotiation skills, particularly around commission structures and compensation packages.
• Ability to assess sales track records and portfolio quality, not just CVs.
• Discretion and professionalism critical when poaching talent from competitors.
• Fluency in English; Arabic is a strong advantage given the local market.

Personal Attributes

• Highly proactive, networked, and persistent.
• Comfortable with a target-driven environment (mirrors the sales culture they're recruiting for).
• Strong relationship-builder with the credibility to approach senior agents/brokers directly.
• Work Location: In person

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