As investment in medical office buildings and healthcare real estate portfolios continues to accelerate, owners, operators, and health systems face growing challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining qualified property and facilities management talent. Competition from other industries, cost sensitivity within health systems, remote and geographically dispersed portfolios, and increasing regulatory complexity have all contributed to a widening talent gap.
This session will explore how healthcare real estate organizations—across the investor, third-party management, and health system sides—are rethinking their talent strategies to build sustainable pipelines for the future. Panelists will discuss creative approaches to recruiting from outside traditional real estate pathways, developing internal mobility, and leveraging workforce development programs, certifications, and partnerships with educational institutions.
Attendees will gain practical insights into what today’s healthcare real estate professionals need to know to succeed, how organizations can better support and engage talent, and what owners and investors are prioritizing as they evaluate operational platforms and portfolio strategies. Through real-world examples and candid discussion, this session will provide actionable takeaways for leaders navigating one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
Learning Objectives—At the end of the session, participants will be able to :
- Identify key drivers of the healthcare real estate talent gap, including competition with other industries, cost pressures, geographic dispersion of assets, and evolving expectations around flexibility and career growth.
- Understand effective recruitment strategies for attracting talent from non-traditional backgrounds—such as technical schools, military transition programs, community colleges, and real estate licensing programs—into healthcare property and facilities management roles.
- Recognize critical knowledge gaps for new healthcare property managers, including clinical operations, regulatory requirements, infection prevention, medical gas systems, and other healthcare-specific building considerations.
- Evaluate workforce development and training options, including industry certifications, internal training programs, and partnerships with organizations such as ASHE, BOMA locals, universities, and technical institutions.
- Explore strategies for retention and engagement, including internal career pathways, mentorship, hybrid work models, and creating a culture that supports both operational excellence and professional growth.
- Assess how owners, investors, and health systems view talent as a portfolio-level strategy, and how staffing, training, and retention decisions influence asset performance and long-term value.