A new national study into women working in real estate is putting long-standing industry practices under scrutiny, revealing widespread experiences of gender bias, underreporting of harassment, and ongoing concerns around safety in day-to-day work.
Among the most confronting findings, only 58% of women said they feel “mostly safe” during property inspections, more than half reported experiencing gender bias, and over a third said they had experienced sexual harassment during their careers in real estate.
Despite this, two-thirds of those who experienced an issue did not report it.
The findings come from the Women in Real Estate study, led by Laing+Simmons Head of People & Growth Jacqui Barnes, which surveyed 200 women across the industry nationally, from new entrants through to senior agents and business owners.
Ms Barnes said the research is designed to reflect lived experience across the sector.
“This is a comprehensive data set from women however the findings apply to both women and men in the industry and to real estate leaders in general.
“While the findings will be interpreted at an individual business level in different ways, the research underlines the importance for all real estate businesses to have the conversations needed to ensure they create and foster an environment in which women, and everyone, can thrive.”
The study also highlights a gap between experience and reporting behaviour, with most incidents not being formally raised.
Ms Barnes said the findings also point to a structural issue.
“An unacceptably high proportion of women sales agents are concerned about their safety in the course of doing their job. This has clearly got to change,” she said.
“Businesses must look at the support procedures and safety protocols they have in place, understand the gaps, risks and threats, and rectify these proactively. No-one should feel unsafe while they are simply doing their job.”
Early career pressure and KPI gaps
The research identifies the first two years in real estate as a critical period for career development, with many respondents reporting unclear expectations.
“We found the first two years are really the make or break,” Ms Barnes said. “Many women experienced a lack of clarity in terms of what was expected of them, and this led to additional and unnecessary pressure. “
Therefore, it’s important to get the specific design of the role right, underpinned by the right KPIs, to set women on the path to long-term success.
“Outcomes don’t always tell the performance story, especially in the first two years, as this is when sustainable pipeline-building is necessary.
“A woman can be performing well and building relationships and pipeline, but may not have the KPI-driven outcomes to show for it. Businesses must consider if their KPIs are therefore missing the point.”
Performance findings challenge assumptions
In a positive, the study found no meaningful performance disadvantage for women entering the industry with children.
It reported that 44% of women who entered the industry with children are now classified as high performers, compared with 37% of those who entered without children.
It also found 42% of women who entered with children are now in business ownership roles, compared with 38% of those who entered without.
Ms Barnes said the findings reflect structural factors rather than capability differences.
“The implication is clear. The difference is not capability, it is the conditions people are expected to operate within at the start. Getting the structure of the role right is more important than the hire itself.”
The research aims to close the gap between perception and reality across performance, leadership, safety and culture.
“With credible data and actionable, evidence-based insights into the drivers of female sales performance, we have shed light on the barriers women must overcome, the pressures holding them back, what helps them thrive, potential improvements in recruitment, how business ownership and leadership pathways differ, and more,” Ms Barnes said.
“Real estate businesses can now interpret and apply the findings in ways that work for them and their people. The opportunities from a cultural, goal-setting, training and development, and support network perspective are significant, and forward-thinking businesses are already working to ensure the environment they provide women and all their people enables them to thrive.”
She said those businesses which ignore the evidence and avoid the conversation risk jeopardising optimum performance by providing an inferior environment for their people, or worse, they risk failing to attract and retain great women agents altogether.
“If you own a real estate business, it’s time for conversations to happen.”