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Commercial Real Estate Hiring: Why Structured Interviews Reduce Risk

  • Writer: Kristin Taylor
    Kristin Taylor
  • 3 hours ago
  • 2 min read

Commercial real estate hiring is often treated as a relationship decision. Familiar names, shared history, and industry reputation carry real weight. But research shows that when hiring relies too heavily on informal conversations, decision quality drops.


Watch the video below to dive deeper into this concept.



Structured interviews are nearly twice as predictive of job performance as unstructured conversations, according to decades of industrial-organizational research summarized by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and independent meta-analyses.¹ ²


That finding matters in commercial real estate more than most industries.


CRE is relationship-driven by nature. Everyone knows everyone. That familiarity increases bias, often unintentionally. When interviews are unstructured, likability begins to replace evidence. Strong storytelling can outweigh actual judgment.


Research consistently shows that structured interviews, defined as predetermined, job-related questions asked consistently and evaluated against the same criteria, lead to more accurate hiring decisions and reduced bias. Behavioral and situational questions outperform casual “fit” conversations because they reveal how candidates actually think, prioritize, and make decisions.¹


This distinction is critical in CRE leadership hiring.


Senior commercial real estate roles require technical judgment and strategic reasoning under ambiguity. Leaders are expected to make decisions that affect capital allocation, asset performance, client relationships, and long-term risk. Those outcomes are not predicted by charisma or familiarity. They are predicted by decision quality.


Unstructured interviews tend to reward polish, charisma, and storytelling. Structured interviews surface judgment.


There is another factor many firms overlook. Formalizing the interview process changes candidate behavior. When interviews are structured, candidates prepare more seriously. Answers become more specific. The conversation shifts from narrative to substance. Hiring teams get better data to compare across candidates.


Likability still matters in commercial real estate. Relationships always will. But structure ensures that likability does not outweigh evidence.


Commercial real estate hiring mistakes do not stay contained. They show up quickly in execution gaps, missed deals, strained client relationships, and internal disruption. That is why structured interviewing is not an HR exercise. In CRE, it is a risk-management tool.


Reach out directly to Kristin here.


About the Author

Kristin Taylor is the Founder of 24 Hour Search, a founder-led executive search firm serving commercial real estate, professional services, and high-growth organizations. She partners with founders, CEOs, and boards on Director through C-suite hiring, with a focus on reducing executive hiring risk through high-touch, discreet search. With more than 1,100 career placements, her work centers on protecting businesses from the cost of the wrong leadership hire.


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