‘It’s time to break the glass ceiling within the property industry’

It is estimated that just 22% of board and leadership positions within the property industry are held by women.

In an age where diversity and inclusivity are championed, it is surprising that women are so under-represented.

In fact, the property industry is facing a gender inequality gap of 31%.

Despite a more equal balance between men (52%) and women (48%) in buy-to-let investment, other areas of the UK property industry reveal shocking disparity, such as construction, an industry of over 2.5m people, 11% of which are women.

ECHELONS

Less than one third of practising architects are women and many of the nation’s major housebuilders have yet to admit a woman to their upper echelons.

Gender inequality across the property industry is too big to ignore.

A recent story in The Neg covered how men in the property industry earned 31% more than women. This is despite the evidence which suggests that simply by having women on the board makes companies more profitable, the inequality continues.

BILLIONS

The Women Count 2022 report focuses on the FTSE 350 and shows how the UK economy is losing billions because of gender imbalance and that if it moved to balanced ExCos – those responsible for decision making – the UK’s GDP could be boosted by around 2.5%.

Women in leadership roles bring different perspectives and new ways of thinking. The property sector is outdated in many ways (methods of construction, outdated planning system etc) and bringing in new perspectives can challenge outdated ways of thinking and ultimately spark positive change.

One woman who has smashed her way through the glass ceiling — and whose work is redefining where and how we live is Emma Mansell (pictured below)

Emma is the managing director of contemporary estate agency The Modern House.

When she was studying art history at Oxford it is unlikely that Emma Mansell dreamed of becoming an estate agent. But the company she leads is no ordinary agency.

The Modern House has carved a profitable and high-profile niche by curating a collection of ultra-stylish and beautifully photographed contemporary homes for sale.

Emma joined the firm in 2016, after an early career in the art world, including a stint at The Wallace Collection.

Back then the firm had nine employees. It now has more than 70 and Emma was made managing director last year, leading the launch of the firm’s sister company, Inigo, which specialises in equally stylish traditional homes, and its print and online magazine.

Our editorial output has always distinguished us from other estate agencies.”

“Our editorial output has always distinguished us from other estate agencies and helped us nurture a community of people who are united by their love of good design,” says Emma, who is in her early thirties and lives in south-east London.

“I’d love our audience to use our platform for inspiration on how to make homes more sustainable, too. It is essential that we are all looking to make these changes in whatever ways we can. We want to be the place where design and sustainability come together.”

CHALLENGES

Having more women in the property sector challenges stereotypes of a male dominated industry and will encourage a new generation of ambitious women to chase their dream careers.

Seeing women in leadership roles shows that there is room for everyone to succeed within the property industry, whether that be as the founder of a start-up, in a board position, or even entry level.

Lucy Love is Head of Marketing at ESE Capital.