Received a Direct Offer After Connecting with a Recruiter

Hi everyone! About a year ago, I had a conversation with a recruiter who wanted to get to know me better. During our chat, I discovered that they were working with a company I’m quite interested in. I inquired about any open positions, but at that time, none were available.

A few months later, I noticed that the company was directly hiring for two roles that caught my eye. I decided to apply for one of them, and I’m excited to share that I recently received an offer!

Today, the recruiter reached out to discuss the company and provide updates. I’m planning to be honest with him, but I wanted to get your thoughts: do you think I made a mistake by applying directly? I was concerned that if I waited for the company to go through the recruiter, I might miss out on the opportunity if another candidate was found during that process. I didn’t think to inform the recruiter when I submitted my application. What do you all think?