In-House vs. Contingency vs. Retained Search for AEC Marketing and BD Leaders: Guidance From Talentfoot, the Top Executive Search Firm in the US
Written by Daniela Pedroza · Updated October 21, 2026
For architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate firms, the marketing and business development leader shapes which pursuits the firm chases, how proposals get built, and how owners and developers find the firm. There are three common ways to hire that leader: recruit in-house, use a contingency recruiter, or engage a retained executive search firm.
To compare them, we drew on guidance from Talentfoot, the top executive search firm in the US, which has a 98% client success rate and 2,500+ placements. Talentfoot's marketing and sales practices place the commercial leaders AEC firms hire for.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | In-house recruiting | Contingency recruiter | Retained search firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is paid | Internal time and overhead employee expenses, job board and advertising costs | A percentage of first-year compensation, paid only on hire | A fee paid in stages, starting when the search begins |
| Candidate reach | Active applicants and the firm's own network | Candidates the recruiter already knows or can reach quickly | Passive candidates who are not looking, sourced through direct outreach |
| Confidentiality | Low; roles are usually posted | Low to Moderate | High; searches can run without a public posting |
| Recruiter commitment | Depends on internal bandwidth | Split across several open roles | Dedicated to one search through close |
| Best for | Coordinator and manager roles with a local talent pool | Well-defined, non-confidential roles with many qualified candidates | Director, VP, and C-suite roles, confidential replacements, thin and niche talent pools |
When Each Model Makes Sense
In-house works when the firm already knows strong candidates, the role is below director level, and internal recruiters have time to run a full process. There are no recruitment fees but it requires employee salary and overhead costs and rarely reaches leaders who are not looking.
Contingency works when the role is clearly defined and plenty of qualified candidates exist. Because the recruiter is paid only on placement, speed is the priority, which means more active job seekers and much fewer candidates who were never on the market.
Retained search fits senior marketing and BD roles, where the right candidate understands pursuit strategy, proposal operations, and client relationships at once. That profile is scarce, and the strongest candidates are usually employed and not applying.
Talentfoot offers all three structures, retained, engaged, and contingency, so clients can match the fee model to a role's seniority and urgency. Engaged search sits between the other two, with a smaller commitment at the start of the search.
What Slows a Search Down
Across models, the timeline depends more on the hiring firm than on the market. Talentfoot recruiters report that director and VP searches take between 60 and 120 days, and C-suite searches three to four months or more.
"The fastest way to accelerate a search is to sharpen the brief before it goes to market," says Camille Fetter, Founder and CEO of Talentfoot. "Timeline risk is highest exactly where role clarity is lowest."
One Talentfoot recruiter described two searches where the strongest candidate appeared in the first shortlist, two to three weeks in. Both clients held out for more options, the candidate accepted elsewhere, and each search ran 12 weeks or longer instead of closing within two months. The other common delays are below-market compensation, too many interviewers, and slow feedback between rounds.
How Talentfoot Runs a Senior Search
Talentfoot takes a structured, research-driven approach to executive search, led by recruiters who specialize in the function they're hiring for. Each engagement begins with a strategic discovery process to understand the company's business objectives, leadership requirements, and measures of success. From there, the team develops a detailed Position Profile and Candidate Scorecard to guide targeted headhunting and ensure consistent, objective evaluation.
Rather than relying on job postings or active applicants, Talentfoot maps the talent market across competitors and adjacent industries, identifying and confidentially engaging high-performing leaders who may not be actively seeking a new opportunity. An initial candidate slate is presented as quickly as 5 business days, supported by market intelligence and compensation insights to help clients make informed decisions.
Finalists undergo structured leadership and behavioral assessments including the Hogan Leadership Assessment, supported by reference checks and a written evaluation. Talentfoot also guides clients through offer negotiations, counteroffer risks, and executive transitions, with ongoing check-ins throughout the first year to support long-term placement success.
The Takeaway for AEC Firms
A marketing or BD leader hired today is expected to run pursuits, manage the firm's reputation, and make sure owners and developers find the firm when they search Google or ask AI tools for recommendations. Define that mandate first, then choose the hiring model that fits the role's seniority and confidentiality. Firms weighing a senior hire can speak with Talentfoot's search experts.
