Sharon Bennie, real estate recruiter from Specialist Property Recruitment discusses how real estate brokers can twist the truth during job interviews.
It can be very easy for candidates to blur the details or even outright lie during the interview process, but there are ways to make sure the truth is discovered.
If you know what to look out for, it will help you weed out those applicants who haven’t been entirely honest.
1. Omitting work history
Interviewees can leave out details like how they finished at an organisation, for example if they were fired or the experience didn’t end well.
They can also extend dates at companies to make it seem as though they were working there for a longer period of time.
“Candidates will jostle with the dates at particular agency,” said Ms Bennie.
“For example they may have worked at ‘agency A’ from January to July but on their CV they will put January to December, and their next job will start in January the following year.”
Ms Bennie said if the candidate has left a gap between jobs you can ask questions about what they did during that time.
“However if they are not honest about the duration of time at businesses it can be hard.
“Ask specific questions during reference checking.
“There is also more transparency on Linkedin as unlike a CV, anyone can access your profile so generally people are more honest."
The best way to make sure candidates aren’t lying is to cross check what they are saying on public arenas like Linkedin, and do thorough reference checks.
2. Over inflating results
In real estate this would usually be total volume of properties sold, or gross commission income.
Candidates might attribute a highest area sale to themselves, but in actual fact it was an agent they were working with.
“Sometimes there is no transparency about whether it was jointly done or individually.
“You should ask candidates what their total number of sales were in the last financial year, of that what is their average sales price, and also their average commission.
“Afterwards you can do the calculation yourself to see if it adds up.”
Related reading: Dubai real estate brokers earn AED 571 million in H1 2018
3. Position titles
People list position titles but can easily blur the details about how long they have held a certain title.
“A candidate can say they have been with a company for five years as a senior property manager, but conceal the fact that they may have started as receptionist, or part time work for a few years.
“They may have only been a senior property manager for three weeks."
To get a more accurate indication of position titles, Ms Bennie said interviewers need to delve into a breakdown of the period of time, and positions held during that time.
She also said thorough reference checking will help clarify any doubts.
4. Real estate agent licence
Candidates may not necessarily lie about having a licence, but perhaps exaggerate how far along they are in the registration process.
“They can say they have the certificate, but that might not be up to date.
“They may need to resit it, or may not be registered.
“There is a grey area that sometimes job applicants don’t understand.”
Find latest real estate agent job vacancies on Recon Jobs
Ms Bennie said you can’t lie about being registered as there is a database employers can check on.
For example, Dubai has the Dubai Land Department's 'Approved Brokers', and Bahrain has the RERA 'Licensed Brokers' online search functions.
Employers can also ask for evidence such as a hard copy of a statement of attainment.
Related reading: Dubai Real Estate Institute to expand courses to MENA countries
5. Fake references
Candidates often fake references, giving out contact details of friends or family.
“The best way to get around this is to ask for office phone lines rather than mobile phone numbers.
“Look up where the reference works online to make sure they are a bonafide person that is employed at that business."
Ms Bennie said most real estate agency websites have the agents listed, and it’s best to ask for a manager or principal of an agency as a reference.
Both Dubai Land Department and Bahrain's RERA websites list not only licenced agencies, but the licenced brokers who work at these agencies and their contact details. This is the best way to ensure that the provided references are legitimate.
A version of this article was originally published on The Real Estate Conversation.
See also:
UAE revealed as most competitive economy in MENA
Abu Dhabi’s Aldar reveals AED 3 billion revenue for H1 2018
Increased foreign demand could boost Dubai’s real estate market
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