Why women centric groups are paving the way for gender balance

According to Statista, as of the second quarter of 2023, there were approximately 216,000 women employed in the real estate sector in the UK, compared with 191,000 men. An industry statistically dominated by women, yet women have never felt the need for support in their industry more than now. This is evidenced by the growing demand and support for women focussed support groups and demand for mentoring.

Its unusual to go a month now without an article in the industry press relating to the challenges women in property face. Recent articles include the gender pay gap, which according to the ONS in May 2023 currently sits at around 47.7% and the Fawcett Society who interviewed 4000 women aged 45-55 and established that 10% of them left work because of the menopause.

Mental load is a huge contributary factor for women hitting ‘burnout’ and as the saying goes, a problem shared, is a problem halved’, this is exactly why women support groups have become not just appealing but needed in the sector. They are place where women can talk openly about the challenges they face, gain support from other professionals, and know they aren’t alone.

“What started out as a small Facebook community to provide support to women during the pandemic, has grown to a very active community of over 3000 women who utilise the group as a safe space to seek and provide advice on female focussed challenges; from navigating a lack of flexibility in the workplace through to dealing with menopause (and everything in between). Now with a fully formed committee, including two men representing the industry, our Purpose is to empower women across all levels within Estate Agency to develop, grow and rise to fulfil their potential”, said Verona Frankish Chair of Women in Estate Agency.

Women in Estate Agency are running their sell-out conference again in March 2024, aimed at women and men, because to create positive change its important that men are aware of these challenges and are active allies in making it happen. The conference dealt with many of the taboo subjects not addressed at most industry events and last year included loss, anxiety, sexual assault and much more and had most of the audience in tears by 10am! In addition, Ladies in Real Estate continue to sell out of tickets for their monthly breakfasts within hours of them being released.

Adina David, Founder of Ladies in Real Estate said “LiRE attracts over 100 new women to the group each month following its breakfasts, a clear indication of the benefits that the participants get in having a regular space to meet fellow women who are all facing a range of issues as they progress in their careers. These are not just junior women starting out, but industry veterans who are still facing biases from their colleagues and peers.

One anecdote regarding why women only spaces are important was shared by a LiRE member a few years ago after we launched the 5050 (gender balanced events). She said she really valued the women only breakfasts as well because she can let her guard down and be relaxed when she’s not competing with another woman in a male-dominated room.

That said, we must involve the men in the conversation and share our perspective with them as we aim to disperse biases and create a supportive environment for all genders. Skewing the conversation too far to one side can also create more challenges for women.”

The landscape for women in property is changing for the better thanks to the confidence of both men and women to highlight under representation not just in the board room, but on webinars and panels, but it’s a slow process and you are still more likely to have a CEO called Andrew or David than have a woman at the helm.

Nicola Broomham, chair of Women in Residential Property said. “On average it takes over 10 years for a woman’s career to recover after having children (according to Careers after Babies website) which is a shocking stat, but sadly not a surprising one. Women are getting increasingly frustrated with these barriers and are actively finding ways to get their careers and lives back on track, often using the support of other women to drive their confidence and careers. If there aren’t visible female leaders and role models in their business, then women are looking elsewhere for them and these support groups and mentoring group such as Mentoring Circle give them that”.

Nicola continued “Many businesses are implementing internal support groups for women and in November alone I’ve had conversations with 5 different estate agencies who are doing exactly that. Reverse mentoring, discussion groups and talent attraction events specifically aimed at women.”

JLL are one of the companies leading the way on this and Emma Deeny, Agency Development Director at JLL said “One area that we need to better support women in the workplace is menopause. Up until very recently, menopause and perimenopause has largely gone unacknowledged in the workplace, which is crazy! 8 out of 10 menopausal women are in work and menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce, with 10% leaving employment during menopause. We shouldn’t be losing talent due to a lack of awareness and support. At JLL, we run monthly Menopause forums, open to all genders and ages. Those experiencing symptoms can share experiences and advice, others can listen, learn, improve their understanding to better support others. We want to normalise the conversation on the subject to reduce stigma and ultimately accept, support, and improve the workplace experience. The group size has grown every month, and we are now looking to expand beyond just JLL colleagues to better support clients and wider industry colleagues. The growing engagement shows the need was there.

To say you care about your people is nice, but to actually care and act on it is a game changer. A business of well-supported, emotionally resilient minds is a stronger, healthier, happier business. Having your people and their wellbeing as priority number one is a no-brainer. JLL do this right!

The landscape for women in property is changing; it’s noisy, it’s supportive and its improving, and its thanks to all these ‘women in’ groups and the visibility and discussion around women in the workforce and what they want, that we are (slowly) making strides towards equality.

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