Real Time

What Real Time does

Real Time is a family-owned, Sydney-based technology recruitment and staffing agency founded in 1991, operating as a specialist intermediary between Australian tech employers and technology candidates. The firm offers permanent placement, contract and temporary staffing, and executive search across roles including software engineering, data, AI/ML, and technology leadership. Its core products are direct consultative recruitment services, a self-serve job board on the corporate website, and a research/content franchise built around the "Future Roles Report" series and a "Real Talk" blog covering tech hiring trends.

The company makes money through professional-services fees: permanent placement fees on a retained or contingency basis and contract/temp staffing mark-ups on roles filled for tech clients. It does not sell a software product and has no proprietary technology platform disclosed. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven, sales-led, and supported by content marketing, with a stated track record of 10,000+ specialist placements across 1,000+ tech companies over 35 years, including named enterprise clients such as Canva, Netflix, Afterpay (Block), and REA Group, alongside scaleup partners including Eucalyptus, Hullbot, and others.

Real Time remains privately held with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries, operating from a single Sydney headquarters while placing candidates in markets including Sydney and Melbourne. The business model is asset-light, headcount-driven, and dependent on the productivity of its specialist recruiters and the depth of its two-sided candidate and employer network.

Name

Real Time

Legal name

Real Time

Website

https://realtimeaustralia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Real Time is a family-owned, Sydney-based specialist recruitment and staffing agency, founded in 1991, placing permanent, contract, and executive technology talent for Australian tech employers including Canva, Netflix, Afterpay, and REA Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Woolloomooloo

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Recruitment & Staffing Placement Services: Real Time generates revenue through permanent placement fees and contract staffing arrangements for tech companies seeking specialized talent. As a recruitment agency, they charge clients for successfully placing candidates in tech roles, typically on a retained or contingency fee basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Real Time is a specialised IT and tech staffing recruitment agency that provides permanent placement, contract/temp staffing, and executive search services for technology roles at Australian companies. The firm connects tech candidates (software engineers, data engineers, AI/ML specialists, tech leadership) with employers ranging from high-growth scaleups to enterprise tech firms, supported by a website job board and industry research reports.

Product overview

Real Time is a family-owned IT and staffing recruitment agency operating since 1991. The company offers a unified recruitment service focused on the technology sector, providing specialist placement of tech talent for scaleup partners and enterprise clients. Their core offering combines job board access, direct recruitment services, and industry research publications including the Future Roles Report series. The company has placed over 10,000 specialists and scaled over 1,000 tech companies over 35 years of operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real Time Recruitment Services Specialist IT and tech staffing recruitment service providing permanent placement, contract staffing, and executive search for technology roles at Australian tech companies. Targets tech scaleups and enterprise tech firms hiring software engineers, data engineers, AI/ML specialists, and tech leadership.
• Job Board

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ specialist placements made
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CanvacoreOthersCanva is listed as a scaleup partner/client for whom Real Time has facilitated tech talent acquisition. A testimonial from Canva's Head of Talent highlights the agency's specialized recruitment services.
• Afterpay (Block)coreOthersAfterpay (now Block) is a fintech client for whom Real Time has placed multiple candidates including serving as Contingent Talent Partner Lead for APAC.
• NetflixcoreOthersNetflix is listed as a client partner with a testimonial from their Contingent Talent Partner Lead praising Real Time's consistent delivery of quality talent and exceptional partnership.
• REA GroupcoreOthersREA Group is a real estate technology client for whom Real Time supported Sydney expansion with critical software engineering hires in competitive candidate markets.
• EucalyptusminorOthersListed as a scaleup partner in the partner logo section.
• AtlassianminorOthersListed as a tech vendor partner with Atlassian logo displayed.
• OracleminorOthersListed as a tech vendor partner with Oracle logo displayed.
• ServiceNowminorOthersListed as a tech vendor partner with ServiceNow logo displayed.
• GoogleminorOthersListed as a tech vendor partner with Google logo displayed.
• ANZ BankminorOthersListed as a tech vendor partner representing financial services technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Talent International: Australian-headquartered IT and digital recruitment specialist operating across permanent, contract, and executive tech placements. Closest direct peer to Real Time given shared geography, vertical specialization, and comparable SME scale.
• Salt: Global digital and tech recruitment agency with strong APAC presence (including Australia) covering digital, marketing, and technology roles. Comparable to Real Time on tech-vertical specialization with broader geographic reach.
• Clicks IT Recruitment: Specialist Australian IT recruitment firm focused on technology talent across contract and permanent roles. Highly comparable business model and customer base to Real Time, with similar boutique positioning.
• Peoplebank: Australian IT recruitment agency placing technology professionals across permanent and contract engagements. Directly comparable to Real Time in customer segment (tech employers and candidates) and delivery model (relationship-led, vertical specialist).

Broad incumbents

• Akkodis (formerly Modis): Global tech and engineering staffing and services brand with APAC operations covering smart industry, digital, and technology talent. Overlaps with Real Time on IT/tech permanent and contract placements at enterprise scale.
• Chandler Macleod: Major Australian recruitment and workforce solutions provider spanning multiple industries including a technology practice. Larger and more diversified than Real Time, competing for similar enterprise and mid-market tech mandates.
• Robert Half (Australia): Global professional staffing firm with an established Australian presence covering technology, finance, and administrative roles. A broader incumbent that competes with Real Time on tech and engineering permanent placements.
• Michael Page (Australia): Global professional recruitment firm with an Australian technology practice spanning permanent and contract roles. Overlaps with Real Time on tech mid-to-senior placements as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Hays (Australia): One of Australia's largest generalist recruitment firms with a substantial technology and digital practice. Larger and broader than Real Time, but a key competitor for mid-market and enterprise tech placements in Australia.
• Hudson (Australia): Established Australian recruitment firm with a dedicated technology, transformation, and digital practice. Broader portfolio than Real Time but directly comparable on enterprise tech permanent and contract hiring.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RealTimeAus1
• Facebookfacebook.com/RealTimeAustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/realtimeaustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Real Time