After 20 years in recruitment, Tamar Avakian has seen the real estate sector shift, stall, and surge again – but some things remain constant. In this episode of Talent Matters, Tamar shares her thoughts on what’s changed in property and surveying recruitment, how her team staffs high-stakes events like Wimbledon, and why deep industry expertise still gives specialist recruiters the edge.
Real estate recruitment is always evolving – and always essential
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate didn’t stand still. Offices may have sat empty, but buildings still needed managing, maintaining, and running. Tamar explains how even when demand dropped, there was still a baseline need for skilled people – from facilities engineers to property managers. The difference now? Flexibility is a bigger part of the equation.
Whether the property was vacant or not, it still needed to be managed… there still was an element of the same function required.
The return to the office is reshaping candidate expectations
Many of Tamar’s clients are bringing teams back into the office four days a week – a shift that’s proving tricky to sell to candidates who’ve grown used to hybrid roles. While site-based engineering roles have not changed significantly, Tamar notes that managerial and surveying roles are now caught in a push-pull between employer mandates and candidate lifestyle choices.
The client’s needs are sometimes so different to what a candidate is looking for… it’s created that precedent where people look at what they’re actually doing and say, ‘Do I want to have that work-life balance?’
Niche knowledge helps build trust – and make better placements
Tamar built her career—and later her business—on being deeply embedded in the real estate industry. It’s that knowledge, she says, that helps her spot the hidden value in candidates and match them with the right roles. She believes specialist recruiters add real value when they understand the sector, the culture, and the specific challenges clients are facing.
The more you’re embedded in your market and the more specialist you are, you’re going to be able to bring certain qualities that a high street or generic recruiter might not.
AI has its place – but not at the cost of relationships
From CV parsing to automated shortlisting, Tamar sees the potential of AI to accelerate the process. But she’s firm on one thing: AI can’t replace the human connection that recruitment relies on. “You can’t automate gut feel,” she says – especially when it comes to career-defining decisions. For Tamar, the best use of tech is when it frees recruiters up to spend more time on relationships.
AI can’t replace that interaction piece… because you’re dealing with people and their huge life changes.
Long-term thinking wins over transactional recruitment
Tamar’s standout moment wasn’t a big deal – it was helping a candidate bounce back after redundancy, landing her a role she’s since been promoted in multiple times. Stories like that, Tamar says, are why long-term care and communication matter. It’s not about chasing every deal. It’s about showing up for clients and candidates over time – and letting trust compound.
It’s not about the transactional side of things… if recruiters are thinking that way, they’ll have short-term success but not long-term impact.
Specialist project work, like Wimbledon, shows what great recruitment looks like
For the third year running, Tamar’s team has been trusted to staff the engineering function behind the scenes at Wimbledon. It’s high-pressure, temporary, and mission-critical – and only works because the recruitment process is tailored, flexible, and built around the client’s unique needs. It’s a great example of how specialist recruiters can step in and deliver when it counts.
We’ve delivered on some huge projects… and when it comes to things like Wimbledon, we adapt our recruitment process completely to meet the need.
Tamar Avakian – Co-Founder, Property & Surveying division at Invictus Group
Tamar Avakian is the Co-Founder of the Property & Surveying division at The Invictus Group, a recruitment agency specialising in the built environment. With over 20 years of experience in real estate recruitment, she leads a team that places professionals across surveying, facilities management, and engineering. Tamar is passionate about relationship-led recruitment, long-term partnerships, and helping clients deliver essential services across some of the UK’s most iconic spaces.
