Europe’s leading real estate advisers are back on the recruitment trail after seeing staff numbers drop by as much as 17% in 2009.
Europe’s leading real estate advisers are back on the recruitment trail after seeing staff numbers drop by as much as 17% in 2009.
King Sturge, which reported the largest decline in agent numbers last year, is actively recruiting staff again in Germany, according to partner Rupert Perkins. 'At the moment we're actively looking to recruit in both Berlin and Frankfurt.'
Outside Germany, the company is also seeking to appoint valuers in Belgium, Turkey and France. In addition, the firm has investment and agency vacancies in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic as well as Germany and France and is aiming to recruit more property management staff in Poland, a spokesman said.
Savills is also keen to beef up its property management revenue, either organically or through infill acquisitions, CEO Jeremy Helsby said in an interview. ‘Property management is underdeveloped on the Continent, especially compared to the UK.’ Last week, the company announced it had also set up a corporate finance department in Frankfurt.
After seeing staff numbers fall 7% in 2009, Savills is now aiming to rebuild the business and grow new teams in virtually every country where it can although the emphasis will be on France and Germany, Helsby said: ‘We want to grow a more balanced business across Europe, filling gaps in the services we provide so we can offer a comprehensive service to clients. There are pieces of the jigsaw missing in a number of countries where we are active, be that property management, leasing or valuation.’
JLL was the only one of the big five advisers to increase staff numbers in 2009, moving to top position with the figure up 7% year-on-year. The company continues to grow in EMEA, CEO Christian Ulbrich said. ‘We are definitely benefitting from the trend of people moving between firms as the markets have gradually improved. We are very positive about our outlook for the business in EMEA and are keen to attract more talented people across the region. As well as new tactical and strategic additions to our existing teams, we are keen to explore new service lines and opportunities.’ JLL booked growth in a number of segments last year including retail, corporate outsourcing, real estate workout and Energy and Sustainability, Ulbrich said.
See more on the property advisors in the October edition of PropertyEU Magazine. Click on the link below to subscribe