Personnel File.

Now, according to our latest Quick Survey, the shifting has stopped and compensation is based less on what real estate executives expect and more on what is expected of them. In fact, 65% of this week's participants are more likely to reward for deal-making performance rather than managerial capability (21%) or loyalty to the firm (14%). "Realistically, the ability to bring a deal to closure is the skill most valued for front line folks," says one respondent who opted to expand on his answer. "This is a critical skill set."

The renewed emphasis on performance reflects a greatly altered climate from that which existed at the start of the summer, when ship-jumping seemed to be at near-epidemic proportions and the pages of GlobeSt.com carried regular stories of managing directors coming aboard rival firms for juicier compensation packages. By contrast, some 34% of this week's participants chart a slowdown in new hires (compared to 23% who say it's been picking up), and 26% record a slump in departures (compared to 17% who say ore people are leaving).