How women in property can thrive without burning out

According to Kylie Davis from Rise Initiative, burnout has long been one of women’s greatest challenges, driven by relentless self-expectations around productivity and the persistent undervaluing of the labour involved in caring for families.

“The biggest issue around burnout is the expectations in how much we think we’ll get done in a day, a week, a month, a year, the minimisation of the work that is involved in caring for families,” Davis told REB.

“These things take time and energy, and we hold and value ourselves in what we can achieve.”

“We’re trying to do it all, be it all and have it all, and that all needs to look like Instagram perfection at the same time.”

Davis said women often put others first while juggling work and home in their minds, carrying a heavy mental load that can harm their wellbeing and performance over time.

“Even while managing work tasks, our minds are juggling dinner plans, shopping, school routines, and endless household chores – the mental load never stops.”

“Daily parenting tasks, like getting kids ready for school, may seem small, but they create a constant, unseen weight that stays with us for years.”

Davis said that for some, the constant juggling of work responsibilities alongside personal tasks can weigh heavily on women’s focus, leaving their minds scattered and their attention divided.

“On top of that, being deeply relationship-focused often means we absorb some of the stress and anxiety of our clients, feeling compelled to fix problems on their behalf.”

While empathy can be a strength, Davis said that without boundaries, it can add emotional weight and increase the risk of burnout over time, making self-protection essential.

“Balancing attentiveness with self-protection becomes essential to sustain both performance and wellbeing. You need guardrails.”

Here are Davis’ key tips for wellbeing:

1. Know your strengths

According to Davis, women in real estate should not compare themselves to the men of the industry, as they often operate differently.

“Women are really good at building relationships and at understanding what happens in their surroundings.”

“They are also very organised and get things done proactively.”

While women are more attuned to relationships and subtle shifts in emotions, she said that men tend to focus on solutions and forward motion.

“These differences aren’t about right or wrong but about understanding each other’s ’operating systems’ and finding common ground.”

Whether in the office or at home, Davis said the most successful partnerships recognise and respect differences, creating shared ways to problem-solve without trying to change one another.

2. Get ruthless about delegation

As women often bear the load, Davis said delegating tasks, whether at home or at work, will be key to reducing burnout risk.

“Women struggle with delegation, often taking on tasks because they want it done the way they believe is best, which makes them comfortable and safe.”

Additionally, Davis said, women’s relationship-focused nature means they often absorb some of their clients’ anxiety and try to fix problems on their behalf, taking on extra emotional weight due to empathy.

“Women need to learn to be comfortable with delegating, as a lot of us take on tasks because it’s just easier to do it ourselves rather than manage the delegation.”

“But ask yourself, ‘Am I really the best person to do this? Do I have the time? And will the results be the same if somebody else does it?’ And then delegate.”

3. Master strategic domestic boundaries

Similarly to delegation, Davis said that women should recognise that “domestic stupidity is something that both sexes can master”.

“Women can’t do it all, and their partners need to understand that tasks need to be shared.”

She said that women should set boundaries around household responsibilities through clear communication and, if necessary, strategic incompetence.

“If your partner doesn’t want to understand, play it ‘dumb’, either do not do the tasks or do it badly on purpose.”

4. Practice mindful self-observation

As women are more attuned to emotions, Davis said that when things go wrong with clients or colleagues, they tend to try to fix things, which can lead to anxiety and stress.

She said that women need to learn to safeguard their wellbeing against emotional overload by observing both others’ behaviour and their own reactions.

“When a stressful or overwhelming situation arises, take a moment to pause and breathe, creating mental distance to recognise that the other person’s emotions aren’t your fault.”

She said that taking a step back allows women to listen to themselves, regulate their own responses, and ask how they’d like the situation handled, rather than immediately jumping in to fix it.

Additionally, Davis said women need to be mindful of their own needs, recognising when demands are high and planning how they’ll recover once the situation is resolved.

“Ask yourself, what am I going to do to take care of myself through it or to recover after it’s over? If there’s nothing I can do until we get through this, what is one thing I can do after it’s over to actually put a little bit of petrol back in the tank?”

5. Carve out personal time

In order to reset and recharge, Davis said that property professionals need to allocate time to themselves and what makes them happy.

She said that the recovery doesn’t need to be grand but simply being one small thing that genuinely sparks joy and protects it, even if it’s just half an hour once a week or once a month.

“Pick one thing you can do that you don’t have to explain or justify or demonstrate or talk about to anyone, but it’s something that makes you feel back in control or nurtured or comforted in some way.”

“It can be a quiet cup of tea before the house wakes, a short solo walk, time spent reading, journalling, or simply sitting uninterrupted for 15 minutes; these can be enough to restore a sense of control, comfort and strength.”

She said that if women can’t spare even a small window of time, it signals a deeper issue, and stressed staying connected with friends and family rather than withdrawing under pressure.

6. Implement breathing techniques

According to Davis, another strategy to regulate stress and improve wellbeing is to learn breathing techniques.

When waking up at 3am with racing thoughts, learning breathing techniques can be helpful to regulate your thinking and calm yourself.

“When you start waking up in the middle of the night, it’s the right time to learning breathing techniques and meditate, rather than letting thoughts about work or life run through.”

“It’s also much better to breathe and calm yourself rather than jumping on your phone or stuff like that.”

7. Maintain girlfriend connections

Davis said the last key to support wellbeing all year long is to turn to your support network when things become too difficult to bear.

“When we are really under the pump, we tend to take ourselves away and out of connection to try and just cope and deal with stuff, but don’t isolate yourself from your girlfriends.”

She said that despite fearing we’ll burden others with our stress, maintaining at least one meaningful connection makes a huge difference in women’s lives.

“Take time with your girlfriends, whether it’s a weekly coffee catch-up or a yearly weekend away, do it, because sharing the load with friends provides support and relief,” Davis concluded.