New research has revealed that while women hold just over half of all jobs within the property industry, they are largely ‘non-management’ roles and that numbers thin-out significantly further up the management ladder.

Completed by marketing agency We Are Unchained and YouGov, the research was conducted among 1,100 property professionals over the past 12 months in time for International Women’s Day tomorrow.

The report shows that while women start well in the industry their careers falter as they climb the ranks to middle and senior management levels, with an almost 30 percentage point shift in gender balance between non-management and board-level roles.

Stark contrast

“The gender gap in UK estate agency, particularly the stark contrast at Board Level, is disappointing and frustrating in equal measure,” says Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa Property and Chair of Women In Estate Agency Group.

“While it is encouraging to see progress from last year’s data when women represented 75% at entry level positions but only 31% at Board level, we still have so much more to do.

“I don’t believe that the issue here is that women have a ceiling to their capability, nor do I think that women are not ‘good enough’. “We must acknowledge that women are still not getting enough of the opportunities that we deserve.

“We have a joint responsibility as leaders – male and female – to change the narrative that women cannot lead as well as men and, until we do, we will not see an industry that is reaching its full potential.”

Becoming mothers

Megan Eighteen, Head of Development for Home Finders, adds: “There’s still a long way to go in supporting women, especially in helping them re-enter the workforce after becoming mothers or facing similar life changes.

“If there’s one takeaway from this International Women’s Day, let it be this: support women returning to work, provide proper support during maternity leave, and truly consider their choices around breastfeeding.

“Becoming a mother changes every aspect of life, and from personal experience, it can deeply impact confidence and identity, on top of the natural instinct of missing your baby. Still, it increases skills like empathy and patience, which are needed in leadership positions.”

Kirsty Franks, owner of Frank Marketing and a board member for Women In Estate Agency: “There are, no doubt, countless factors behind the lack of female senior leaders when compared to junior employees.
“Still, through our work at WiEA, we aim to support, empower, and champion women throughout their estate agency careers so that this gap continues to reduce, and women are given fair and equal opportunities to their male counterparts.”

Cindy Slaughter, Marketing Director of Avocado and Momentum Portfolio, says: “To truly drive the industry forward in an equal and balanced way, we must focus on creating clear pathways for women to transition from middle management into senior leadership and board level roles.

Women in property roles

• All levels: 52% women, 48% men
• Non-management: 71% women, 29% men
• Junior management: 53% women, 47% men
• Middle management: 41% women, 59% men
• Senior management (below the board): 47% women, 53% men
• Board level: 42% women, 58% men

Read more: Women in property industry paid third less than men, study claims