Episode 10 Recruiting with Heart & Tech: Katie Cotton on Building the Future of Real Estate

In this energising episode, we sit down with Katie Cotton, a powerhouse in real estate recruitment and tech innovation. From her early days in roles ranging from Tupperware sales to law enforcement, Katie shares her unique path into real estate and how it led to founding Recruit RE — a purpose-built platform reshaping how agencies hire and grow their teams.

Katie opens up about her leadership journey, her passion for people, and the creation of tools that empower both agents and businesses. With a refreshing take on VAs, tech development, and what makes a great real estate hire, this episode is packed with insight and personality — including hilarious icebreakers, heartfelt reflections, and one very unlucky cow named Dan.

Whether you're an agency owner, recruiter, or agent looking to thrive in 2025 and beyond, Katie’s vision for smarter, values-driven recruitment will leave you inspired.

🧭 Episode Breakdown

00:00 – 02:00 | Intro & Icebreakers

• Meet Katie Cotton, visionary behind Recruit RE
• Horse-mothering adventures & wild Google searches (yes, cows have best friends… maybe?)
• Fun questions: Napoleon in real estate? Duck-sized horses?

02:01 – 06:00 | Real Estate Career & Philosophy

• Katie’s unconventional path into real estate
• Why “earning your stripes” is outdated advice
• Hiring for personality over skills — and why energy trumps experience
• Real estate is teachable; passion isn't

06:01 – 10:00 | The Recruit RE Vision

• Recruit Re explained: Think “SEEK for real estate”
• Smart-matching tech, Career Passport, and CPD tracking
• Built for the industry, by someone who understands it
• A practical tool, not just another recruiter platform

10:01 – 14:00 | Tech Meets People: Building with VAs & Developers

• Katie’s VA team and global dev squad
• Communication struggles, joke misfires, and mutual trust
• Lessons from managing app builds and understanding integrations
• Why VAs don’t replace, but free up talent for higher-value work

14:01 – 18:00 | Future Plans & Closing Thoughts

• What's live now on Recruit RE (Career Passport)
• What’s launching next: employer/jobseeker functionality
• The mission: empowerment, accessibility, and human connection
• Where to find Recruit RE & why perfection isn’t the goal — progress is

🎧 Available Now – 18 minutes of fresh insights, laughs, and real estate wisdom.
Visit recruitre.com.au
to learn more and sign up for early access.