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Real estate is a career well suited to women, as noted by one of Australia’s biggest brands.
With Raine & Horne celebrating the 112th International Women’s Day (IWD) right across the brand under an #EmbraceEquality theme, several notable members of the network have weighed in on the sector’s offering to women.
Mindy Powell-Hodges, head of network at the Raine & Horne group, revealed the agency has embarked on crucial steps to attract females into real estate, with 70 per cent of its corporate team being female.
“At the management level, it is even more titled towards women, with female managers outnumbering males,” she said. “There is no quota system in place. We select the right person for the job. Right now, women are the best candidates for many of our corporate office roles.”
An industry culture that allows women to “set their own work/life parameters” positions real estate as the ideal industry for females, with Ms Powell-Hodges explaining, “They can work as many hours and make as much money as they want.”
“Obviously, the more time you invest in the business, the more you get out of it,” she said, before adding that “owning a real estate office makes plenty of sense for women with small children or those looking for a career change after the youngsters advance to school.”
She declared, “The beauty of real estate is that regardless of gender, culture, or experience, you can be successful.”
Flexible work patterns have been heralded by Gwen Levesque, co-principal at Raine & Horne Gawler and Munno Para, south of Adelaide, who outlined that the industry “allows women with families to be flexible about where they work if not the hours we work.”
She detailed how her branch office has many mothers, with flexible arrangements meaning “if children need to come to work for whatever reason, we have absolutely no problems working around that.”
Rebecca Mitchell, sales agent with the network’s lower north shore outlet, believes “being female is a massive advantage” in the industry.
“My whole team is female, and I believe the empathy and sensitivity we bring to every transaction, whether a first home buyer, downsizer, or dealing with a deceased estate, helps produce winning results.”
She believes common industry perceptions that “male agents get the best price” are untrue, as her team’s “shared core values,” partnered with a highly competitive environment, mean the team helps “buyers and owners achieve their property goals.”
“Making a difference in somebody’s life, whether through price or just helping them through a difficult and stressful time in their life, is why I believe real estate is a fulfilling career choice for many female agents,” Ms Mitchell concluded.
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