CVs and interviews show which marketing responsibilities a candidate already knows. A well-scoped work sample also shows how they structure a new assignment, label assumptions and connect marketing with sales and project information.
This guide provides a fictional 60-minute case for senior and leadership roles in real estate marketing. Every candidate receives the same material, time limit and assessment criteria. The exercise stays compact and does not ask for usable work on a live project.
1. Decide what the work sample should test
Before inviting candidates, define the decisions the role will actually own. For a Head of Real Estate Marketing, these may include market and audience understanding, positioning, channel priorities, sales handovers and the quality of decision inputs.
The official Swiss career profile for real estate marketing covers market analysis, property descriptions, marketing campaigns, communication channels, customer engagement and support through the transaction. Select only the elements that matter to the specific vacancy.
- Does the candidate structure an incomplete assignment clearly?
- Do they separate facts, assumptions and open questions?
- Can they connect audience, message, channel and sales process?
- Do they set priorities instead of producing a long activity list?
- Do they make risks and required decisions visible?
2. Prepare one fictional case pack
Use a fictional or fully anonymised property. The pack should provide enough context for a recommendation while deliberately leaving some information incomplete. This tests how candidates handle a realistic brief rather than how much detail they can recall.
Tell every candidate that external research is not expected and that there is no hidden correct answer. Assess the quality of the reasoning rather than the visual polish of the presentation.
- Property type, region, project phase and intended marketing launch.
- Preliminary audience and three to five known property attributes.
- A price or rent range presented as an assumption.
- Available channels, internal team and sales structure.
- Two visible risks, such as missing approvals or incomplete documents.
- No more than two pages of input and no confidential project data.
3. The 60-minute case exercise
Ask candidates to use 60 minutes to outline a recommendation for the first six weeks of marketing. Limit the output to five slides or two pages. The format forces prioritisation and keeps the time commitment reasonable.
Explain the task in writing before the session. State which tools are allowed, how the result will be presented and that candidates may identify unfinished areas openly.
- State the primary marketing objective and two measurable interim outcomes.
- Prioritise two audiences and explain the order.
- Outline the message, channels and sequence for the first six weeks.
- Define the handover between marketing, advisory and sales.
- List five missing inputs that must be resolved before execution.
- Identify one decision you would change if new evidence emerged.
4. Five presentation questions
Reserve 20 to 30 minutes after the presentation and ask every candidate the same core questions. Follow-ups should explore the reasoning rather than introduce an additional assignment.
Look for the ability to explain a recommendation, acknowledge limits and respond to new information. Changing a recommendation is not a weakness when the reasoning is clear.
- Which assumption has the greatest effect on your plan?
- Which activity would you remove first if time or budget decreased?
- What information do you need from the project team before launch?
- How will sales know whether a lead is sufficiently qualified?
- What new information would change your audience priority?
5. Assess with one consistent scorecard
Score each dimension immediately after the presentation using the same scale, such as one to five. Define in advance what low, medium and high performance mean. Record observable evidence from the submission and discussion instead of general impressions.
Germany’s Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency guide covers fair hiring across advertising, selection and interviews. Applied to a work sample, the practical principle is clear: criteria should be relevant to the role, set in advance and used consistently for every candidate.
- Assignment understanding: objective, project phase and decision needs.
- Audience logic: prioritisation and evidence for the choice.
- Marketing plan: clear sequence, channels and realistic dependencies.
- Sales connection: lead definition, handover and feedback loop.
- Judgement: assumptions, information gaps, risks and adaptability.
A useful work sample adds observable behaviour to the interview and reference evidence. Keep it compact, fictional and consistent for all candidates. This gives the employer another decision input without asking candidates to perform unpaid project work.
Sources and context
MuJobs editorial practice guide, published on 31 October 2026. The case is an adaptable selection aid, not legal advice. Criteria, data protection and employment-law requirements should be reviewed for the organisation and role.