Study Finds Continuing RE Hiring Strength

Hiring remains strong in the real estate industry, with particular strength in the Southeast and Midwest for the single-family residential sector and in the Northeast for the commercial mortgage sector, according to Ferguson Partners Ltd., Chicago.Ferguson's semiannual hiring study surveyed more than 150 real estate companies and found that respondents were "generally optimistic" about their business prospects and planned to boost hiring by 1%-10%, on average, over the next six months, the company said. The survey reported strong demand among homebuilders and found that the "hottest functions" in the residential mortgage business are development, construction, and sales/marketing. "Real estate companies are optimistic about the future, and the result is the hottest hiring market we have seen in recent history," said Bill Ferguson, co-chairman of the FPL Advisory Group of companies, of which Ferguson Partners is a member. The study divided the surveyed companies into three groups: commercial mortgage finance, commercial ownership/service (including real estate investment trusts), and single-family residential. FPL can be found online at http://www.fpladvisorygroup.com.