Role search
Get an Interim Head of Real Estate who can own portfolio asset maintenance funding.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: The interim Head of Real Estate must stabilize an active portfolio while advancing development projects. This individual acts as the primary executive authority who balances daily operational needs against long-term asset value.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Interim Head of Real Estate
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
The interim Head of Real Estate must stabilize an active portfolio while advancing development projects. This individual acts as the primary executive authority who balances daily operational needs against long-term asset value. They decide which maintenance projects require immediate funding versus those that can defer to later quarters, preventing capital leakage while maintaining the integrity of physical assets.
Judgment manifests in the ability to distinguish between market noise and structural shifts. A capable executive evaluates a new lease or site acquisition based on your current cash position and risk tolerance. They possess the operational experience to recognize if a property manager is masking declining occupancy or if a construction contractor is understating project risks.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify the candidate has functioned as an executive in an owner or operator capacity rather than solely as a consultant. They must demonstrate that they have controlled budgets exceeding your portfolio size within the last three years. We prioritize those who held signing authority for capital expenditures and lease approvals, ensuring they know the weight of their own decisions.
- We audit their history with specific asset classes, such as industrial, multi-family, or office. An executive experienced in retail turnarounds lacks the specific technical background needed for ground-up industrial development. We confirm their past involvement in full-cycle project oversight, from land acquisition through to stabilization, checking for gaps in their project cost-to-complete reporting.
- We test their knowledge of current debt structures and capital stack implications. They must describe how they reconciled performance failures with investors or lenders during past engagements. We look for concrete examples where they replaced underperforming service providers or corrected flawed development contracts before significant capital loss occurred.
- We evaluate their experience in building and managing high-performing internal teams. We check references to ensure they drove accountability within their departments. We look for proof that they managed stakeholders, including legal counsel and institutional partners, without delegating their own executive responsibilities to junior staff.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We search within private equity firms and family offices where leaders manage their own capital. These professionals operate with a fiduciary mindset because they answer directly to owners or investment committees. They are accustomed to reporting performance based on net operating income rather than speculative growth metrics, making them highly effective for interim transitions where clear results are the priority.
Candidates typically transition to this interim work to solve a specific problem, such as a major portfolio restructuring or a stalled pipeline of projects. They view these assignments as chances to deploy their expertise in a new environment without the baggage of long-term corporate politics.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring a candidate who has only worked for large, bureaucratic institutions where their role was limited to specialized reporting or single-site management. These individuals often lack the breadth of experience needed to direct an entire department or handle multiple assets simultaneously.
- Selecting someone from a brokerage background to manage assets. A broker understands how to close a deal but may lack the deep technical knowledge of long-term property lifecycle management, maintenance budgeting, and capital improvement execution.
- Ignoring the difference between an asset manager and a developer. An asset manager focuses on maximizing the value of existing property, while a developer focuses on the construction and risk management of new projects. Expecting one person to be an expert in both without evidence of dual experience often leads to failures in project delivery.
The search
How the Interim Head of Real Estate search runs
- We begin by identifying your specific organizational gap, whether it is a need for portfolio optimization or active project oversight. We build a profile based on your current asset mix and the specific regulatory or financial challenges you face. This creates a baseline for the required technical depth in leasing, construction management, or debt restructuring.
- We conduct confidential screenings focused on the candidate's recent accomplishments. We ask them to detail how they managed past budget crises and how they structured their internal reporting. We discard candidates who rely on theoretical approaches, focusing only on those who present proven systems for tracking asset performance and site progress.
- We provide a concise shortlist of individuals who are ready for immediate deployment. We accompany this with documentation on their specific strengths and potential focus areas for their first ninety days. We facilitate interviews that prioritize their decision-making process over their resume history, ensuring you see how they would actually run your department.
Questions
How quickly can an interim Head of Real Estate start?
These executives currently hold positions requiring thorough wind down of responsibilities and professional handover procedures. Candidates are vetted for their ability to start once their primary duties conclude and their notice periods are fully served by their current firms.
What is the difference between an asset manager and a Head of Real Estate?
An asset manager typically focuses on individual property performance and reporting. A Head of Real Estate directs the strategy across the entire portfolio, including debt management and development decisions.
What payment structure should I expect?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We establish clear terms for the engagement before any interviews occur.
Do I need an interim leader with experience in my exact asset class?
Yes, experience in your asset class is necessary. Different properties carry unique operational risks and technical requirements that require specific industry knowledge.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
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The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.