Real Estate Talk:
Hiring employees

Practices to nurture productive and loyal employees

By Joseph Marovitch

November 20, 2025

One of the fields in real estate I work in is multi-residential income property, serving both novice and experienced investors with many doors. Each morning, I receive both private and publicly listed multi-residential income property for sale that were placed on the market the previous day.

Based on specific criteria such as a cap rate of 4.5 or higher, good locations, and apparent good condition, I email these properties to a client list of interested parties. I may then receive an email or call requesting that I prepare a conditional offer to visit the properties. An income property is defined as six units or more. The investors I work with are searching for ten to 200-plus units (apartments).

I recently had an experience with a client who is an income property developer with many units and buildings. This developer indicated they had trouble keeping their building managers and other employees. Some would quit, and others were fired.

… if the employer did not vet properly or provide sufficient support on the job, the responsibility falls on the employer, not the employee.

Before becoming a realtor, I was the owner/director of a private international residential summer camp in the Laurentians. The camp hosted up to 400 children, ages six to 16, with 65 staff. They would work as counsellors, instructors, food service staff, doctors, nurses, and so on. Since most were students, I had a 50% turnover every second year as the students graduated.

To replenish the 35 or more staff required, I would receive over 600 resumes for positions such as counsellors, instructors, food service, clinic, and maintenance. When some of the resumes checked out, I would conduct over 100 interviews to acquire the staff needed, and these staff had to be excellent at working and living with children in a small community.

As an employer, if a staff member had to be let go or quit, it was my fault and responsibility. This is because the employer is required to vet the potential employee and, if hired, support the employee. Therefore, if the employer did not vet properly or provide sufficient support on the job, the responsibility falls on the employer, not the employee.

As such, I provided the developer with the following protocol for hiring and retaining productive, loyal employees.

Staff produce if they are in a safe and nurturing environment. Every success and failure lies with the employer.

Therefore:

VET YOUR CANDIDATE PROPERLY

• Research the potential employee’s resume
• Check references
• Request a criminal check
• Depending on due diligence, either arrange an interview or not

INTERVIEW

• Ask questions regarding personal life, education, skill set, and chemistry.
These questions can indicate values, work ethic, skill, and ability to work on a team.
• Provide a crystal-clear job description.
• Ask specific questions, such as are they:
  – Reliable?
  – Responsible?
  – Do they do what you say you are going to do?
  – Do they arrive on time to work?
  – Do they swear in common language
  – Can you handle problems calmly and professionally?
  .
  By answering these types of questions, the candidate is on record in case issues arise. These questions also indicate the candidate’s level of professionalism and how they handle issues under pressure.
  .
• Provide specific verbal situations of possible problems that can be encountered, and ask how they would handle the problem. These situational responses can indicate much about the candidate and whether they are suited to the position they are applying for.

‘Properly vetted employees, with nurturing support in a safe, peaceful environment, will drive the company’s success.’

If the employer has successfully vetted the candidate with positive results:


PROVIDE PROPER SUPPORT

TRAIN THE NEW EMPLOYEE
The employer vetted the employee; now the employer has an obligation to train the new employee properly.

• Train the employee on your systems, contacts, and the way your business operates.
• Train the new employee so they can apply their skills to your job and corporate atmosphere.

ONGOING SUPPORT

• Be there to answer questions
• Keep staff informed
• Provide the necessary tools the employee requires for their job

Properly vetted employees, with nurturing support in a safe, peaceful environment, will drive the company’s success.

EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE MISTAKES AFTER CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED:

• Do not wait once an issue comes to attention
• Ask what the employee is having trouble with
• Review and possibly revise the provided instructions
• After three or more recordable incidents, decide whether the employee should be placed in another position or let go, once the employer has done everything possible to support the employee.

IF A CANDIDATE IS LET GO OR QUITS, IT IS BECAUSE OF ONE OF THREE ISSUES:

• They were not vetted properly
• They were not trained for the position properly
• The workplace is not professional and conducive to production, creativity, initiative, and loyalty

Employees bring their skills, integrity and work ethic. They do not bring the knowledge of the employer’s company. This is for the employer to provide. Proper vetting, support and a safe atmosphere create productive and loyal employees.

The information in these articles is a summary. Should you have questions, comments or wish to discuss further, please refer to the comments section at the bottom of the page or contact me directly. As well, to view past articles, click here.

State Of The Market

According to the November 17 RBC Economics report, home sales in Canada rose 0.9% this past October. It appears buyers are responding favourably to improving market conditions. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home sales were down in September but rose in October and remain lower than a year ago. CREA also stated that the Canadian real estate market appears to be recovering from trade-war tariff threats in 2025.

All indications are that the markets across Canada are improving. There are still some uncertainties at play, but if the status quo holds and improves, we are looking at much greater success in the 2026 real estate market.

‘All indications are that the markets across Canada are improving. There are still some uncertainties at play, but if the status quo holds and improves, we are looking at much greater success in the 2026 real estate market.’

If buying is a consideration, now is better than later. One effect of an improved market economy is rising inflation and, therefore, rising interest rates. It is advisable to lock in a pre-approval now rather than later, and to purchase within the next 120 days to keep the pre-approval rate.

For further discussion, leave a comment or call me directly.

Have a great week!

Let’s not forget that people with cancer are vulnerable too!

You are invited to keep giving to the following organizations since it’s now more important than ever to support cancer research! Click on the logos below to find out how:

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