Your vacancy is advertised, but relevant applications are not arriving. Another advert is not necessarily the next step. First examine the responsibility you need to fill, who the offer reaches and where interested people leave the process. These five checks help real estate employers in Germany and Switzerland turn an unclear search into a concrete action.
1. Understand what the number measures
Separate advert views, clicks on an application link, completed applications and applications that meet the brief. They describe different stages. A platform’s click count does not tell you how many people completed an application in your own system.
Record the timeframe and channel alongside each measure. A single number cannot explain whether the problem is reach, an unclear offer or a mismatch between the audience and the role.
- How many complete applications have arrived across all channels?
- Which meet the essential criteria agreed before the search?
- Where are information or timely responses missing?
2. Define the assignment before the title
A broker, property adviser or real estate marketing specialist may have quite different responsibilities in different businesses. Start with the result the new colleague will own. Is the priority winning owner mandates, advising existing prospects or marketing a new development?
Separate three essential capabilities from skills that can develop with support. Do not combine acquisition, development and campaign delivery into one brief without explaining priorities and available resources.
- Specify the property type and region.
- Separate acquisition, advice, marketing and completion responsibilities.
- Explain employment or self-employed collaboration, attendance and travel.
- Be clear about compensation and how any variable elements work.
3. Read the offer from the candidate’s perspective
A list of duties does not explain why someone should move. Candidates need to understand their authority and daily work. Explain whether customer relationships already exist, which support is available and which decisions they can make.
Use concrete conditions rather than interchangeable promises. A small team, direct access to management or a clearly defined portfolio explains more than a string of adjectives. Describe only arrangements you can actually provide.
- What makes the assignment professionally interesting?
- Which resources are available from the start?
- What should the person achieve in the first three months?
- Which conditions are fixed and which can be discussed?
4. Add focused personal outreach
Once the brief is clear, direct sourcing can complement advertising. Start with a focused market map: comparable businesses, relevant property types and the regional experience the role needs. An impressive CV is not automatically a relevant profile.
Explain why the person’s experience may be relevant, what the assignment involves and why a conversation could be worthwhile. Do not assume they want to leave their employer. Respect refusals and do not use confidential contact or customer data from previous employers.
- Refer to relevant professional experience.
- Explain the assignment and working model clearly.
- Ask an open question about interest or timing.
- Record responses and refusals to prevent duplicate approaches.
5. Make the next step definite
Good outreach cannot compensate for unclear decision-making. Agree who conducts initial conversations, which evidence matters and when candidates will receive feedback. A short, consistent assessment is more useful than an unexplained impression after several interviews.
Discuss an anonymised project: what situation did the candidate inherit, what did they personally contribute and how did they justify decisions? Do not request confidential documents or unpaid work on a real customer assignment.
- Assign an owner and specific feedback dates.
- Compare candidates using the same core, role-related questions.
- Clarify motivation, availability and mutual expectations early.
- Document uncertainties and agree the next appointment.
Few applications justify investigation, not an automatic conclusion that the market is empty. Choose the action after diagnosing the problem: sharpen the brief, explain the offer, approach relevant people or improve selection. Set a review date and assess meaningful conversations rather than contact volume alone.
Sources and context
MuJobs editorial practice guide, published on 16 October 2026. These questions are recruitment process recommendations, not market statistics or guarantees of application volume or hiring speed.