How to Get a CBRE Employee Referral
CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, hiring at huge scale across brokerage, property and facilities management, valuation, and corporate roles - and with applicant pools that large, an employee referral is one of the most reliable ways to get a recruiter to actually read your resume.
Quick answer
Yes, CBRE takes employee referrals: an employee puts your name in internally, usually before you apply, and about 50% of hires come through referrals. You do not need to already know someone there. You need an employee you share a school or a past employer with, and a short conversation.
- Find CBRE employees who share your school or a past employer (the free search above).
- Ask for a 15 minute chat about their team, not for a job.
- If it goes well, ask them to submit your referral before you apply.
Referral bonuses at large companies typically run $1,000 to $10,000, paid to the employee who refers you, never to the candidate. See reported referral bonus amounts by company.
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✍️ Ready-to-send intro“Hi - we both studied at [your school]. I’d love to hear about your path to a company you are targeting before I apply…”
… plus everyone else in your network who can put in a good word.
See who can refer you in - pick your target company:
By the Numbers
CBRE hires across three broad businesses: Advisory Services (leasing, capital markets and investment sales, valuation), Global Workplace Solutions (corporate facilities and property management, project and building operations), and Real Estate Investments (CBRE Investment Management and Trammell Crow development). Global Workplace Solutions alone employs tens of thousands in facilities and property roles.
Referrals are a formal, tracked part of hiring: when a current employee submits you, your application is flagged to the recruiter with an internal endorsement instead of sitting in the general queue. It does not skip the interview - it gets your resume a real read in a very high-volume pipeline.
How to Get a Referral: Step by Step
- Find a real connection: Use FindWarmIntros to surface CBRE employees who share your school or a past employer - CBRE hires from real estate, finance, engineering, and operations backgrounds alike.
- Pick the business first: Advisory (brokerage, capital markets, valuation), Global Workplace Solutions (facilities and property management), and Investment Management run separate pipelines. Know which one fits before you ask.
- Match the discipline: Property and facilities management, brokerage and advisory, valuation, and corporate functions are distinct tracks with different requirements - name the one you fit.
- Make the ask specific: Send your contact the exact requisition link and a two-line summary of why you fit - that is all they need to submit you.
- Follow up within a day: After they refer you, thank them and ask about the team and recruiter so you are ready when outreach comes.
Tips That Make the Difference
Property and facilities management are the wide doors
Global Workplace Solutions hires continuously for facilities managers, property managers, and building engineers across corporate client sites - steady demand with less competition than headline brokerage seats.
Brokerage is relationship-first
Capital markets, investment sales, and leasing teams value candidates a producer already knows. A warm introduction to the right team lead matters more here than a polished cold application.
A past-employer contact counts
CBRE grows by absorbing teams and firms, so ex-colleagues now at CBRE are valid, high-value referrers - widen your search to include them.