We have been talking about the lack of women in the roles of the Senior Real Estate Agency for years, but depressingly little has changed. Enter any branch and find talented women directing the show. Look up in the boardroom, and it is still a sea or men.
I hold my hands, that includes Spicerhaart. Although more than half of our workforce are women and some of our best performance agents are women, there is only one woman in our Board: Samantha McLoughlin, our human resources director.
So we have the legs asking difficult questions. Why aren’t there more women reaching the top? And what do you need to change?
Samantha does not attack him: “The problem is not the capacity in our industry, it is access. Women are not being promoted at the same rate.
In Spicerhaart, we are taking it seriously, looking for ways to encourage more diversity. This will help address the gender salary gap, not because and women are paginantly for the same work (they are not), but because men are even more likely to be in the upper and paid positions. That has to change.
As Samantha says: “We are changing the way we recruit and promote. We are identifying the barriers, the perceived glass roofs, and we are eliminating them. We want women to feel empowered to put on topics forward. And when they are there.
“The real estate agency has always been a business of people. It is based on the connection, trust, resilience and intuition, the qualities that women provide in abundance. Therefore, it is vital that we promote more in senior roles by guaranteeing the way.
The statistics support it. TO We are deactivated/yogov The survey showed that while 52% of the roles of the real estate agency are maintained by women, almost all are in non -management positions. There is a 30 -point drop between the branch and the joint room. Worse, according to voice 2024 of the agents survey, 85% of the female agents say they have experienced gender -based discrimination, and most did not report it, fearing that nothing would change.
Samantha adds: “That tells me that there is still a culture of fear. That people do not believe that the system protects them or takes them seriously. That has to be fixed from top to bottom.”
Some point to the independent model as the flexibility of response, without a roof, their business in their terms. But in the United States, where two thirds of real estate agents are women, the typical real estate agent sells only 10 properties a year, according to the National Association of Real Estate Agents, and many have to complement their income with a second job.
That is not empowerment. That is left behind.
If we take the change seriously, we need to be much more flexible in terms of part -time work, work actions and hybrid roles. This must be supported by structured tutoring channels, not only PEP conversations, but also sponsorship and succession planning. We need to stop hiring our own image and, what is more important, any discrimination or bias must be discouraged.
Samantha accepts that the industry has evolved: “But not far enough. Several leadership are not just a pleasant to have. It is a competitive advantage. However, we are still very far.”
And there is also the issue of security, both for women and for men. As Samantha reminds me: “The real estate agency still has too many lonely work scenarios. Since touching late visits: these policies must be written with the safety of women in mind. That does not happen unless they are in the room is shown speechless. But we also need to know about women’s fears.
None of this is about tokenism. It is about unlocking all the potential of our industry. We cannot afford to continue wasting talent. And we should not trust voluntary groups such as Women’s agency on property To fix what is fundamental.
As Samantha tells me: “We need to change the narration of “Can women lead in the real estate agency?” to “What are we doing to defend and accelerate your success?” I see encouraging signs every day, in women who ascend with confidence to senior roles, in the new generation of female agents who find their voice and in the growing conversations about inclusion and leadership.
“Yes, the glass ceiling still exists. But it is cracked. And with each crack, we create more space for the next generation to rise.”
As I see, this is not about ‘keeping the doors open’. It is about dismantling the barriers that should not have been there first. Real change means rewriting policies with all voices on the table, calling bias and developing clear and backed up towards leadership. Because women lead, our entire industry thrives, and that is a future that we all have a role in the configuration.
Paul Smith is a founder and president of Spicerhaart.
