What does good leadership look like in 2022? How can you put your best foot forward where you work, whether you’re managing a team or an entire company? In March, we’ll plumb the topic through Q&As from top-tier industry leaders, contributions from Inman columnists (the leaders in their field) and more. Then we’ll keep the leadership conversation going in person at Inman Disconnect in late March in Palm Springs, California.
Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.
Real estate as an industry has always offered outsized opportunities to women, perhaps because its associations with “home” made it an acceptable avenue for women’s efforts and accomplishments. Yet, though they make up the majority of residential agents, women are less likely to take on brokerage leadership or transition to the more lucrative commercial and development sectors.
We asked: What are the biggest barriers to leadership for women in real estate? How do women undermine their interests or fail to grab the brass ring when it’s available? What can women do to take on a greater leadership role in the industry?
Here’s what you shared:
- Good Ol’ Boys Club. This industry, more than most, feels like it carries an old-school mentality with men as “decision-makers” and women as “customer-facing.”
- Leadership opportunities and acknowledgment of accomplishments
- It puzzles me, but men dominate most senior positions in corporate America and it seems to be true in senior real estate management roles.
- Good Old Boys Mentality
- Yes, we as women can have Leadership roles in our industry by finding our niche, our voice, knowing what are we good at, what do we enjoy doing? What can we do better or differently than our male counterparts? When you’ve answered those questions, dedicate every bit of your time to being the best at your role, never stop learning, and always ask for opportunities as they arise to “own” the job you want. With the right firm and respect from the right people, today, I’m one of few Hispanic women who is an NYC Broker of Record and the only one for the largest franchise in NYC.
We want to hear from you. Tell us about the barriers you see for women in the industry, and the solutions you’ve identified in the comments below.
Editor’s note: These responses were given anonymously and, therefore, are not attributed to anyone specifically. Responses were also edited for grammar and clarity.