What women want

Here’s the shock story of the year. Women are not being sufficiently represented across industry events. OK, so it’s not a shock story, it’s a story we know all too well. But in the year when there are now 127 women in US congress, including a record number of women of colour, the first Muslim congresswoman and the first Native American congresswoman (and to inspire the next generation out there, the youngest-ever congresswoman – 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), the UK property industry can surely do better at representation. With that goal in mind, EG launched a survey at the end of 2018 to find out what barriers women in the industry felt there were that hindered their ability and/or desire to take part in real estate events. More than 200 women took part in the survey, which provides some insights into why standing up at a conference is important, what makes taking part difficult and how we as an industry can make it easier and be more encouraging to anyone in our business to get involved and share their knowledge. Here, we share the results and make our own pledge to help create a more diverse, inclusive and representative UK real estate environment. Why standing up matters Everyone knows the adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, but what about ‘it’s who knows you’? Being visible in this industry can have great advantages, and bring with it great opportunities. Getting up on stage at an event is a great way to do this. Raising their profile was precisely why more than a quarter of the women who responded to our survey said they had taken part in an industry event. Some 19.5% of women said they did so to share their knowledge. Why standing up is hard A lack of confidence has often been cited as one of the main reasons women are less likely than their male counterparts to get up on stage. And while some 18% of our survey respondents said this was the reason for them declining invitations to join a panel, it was not top of the list. That spot went to relevance, showcasing that some women feel that they may be being asked just to ensure some sort of diversity on a panel, rather than being properly selected as part of an event line-up. Availability and being asked too close to the event were cited as the second- and fourth-biggest reasons for women not taking part in panels. Making saying yes easier While being asked more frequently was one very clear and strong message that came through as a result of the survey and EG’s call-out for women to put up their hands to be considered for event speaking – more than 100 women responded positively to that request – providing a relevant and interesting topic for discussion was the top reason women gave for helping to persuade them to take part in panels more often. No more talking about the same-old, same-old – give us something where we can really show off what we know, they said. Providing sufficient notice to take part in the panel was the second-biggest enabler for women, which according to respondents should be at least one month, followed by holding events at more convenient times. The survey found the most convenient time of day to be between 9am and 2pm. Training, too, was seen by a significant number of respondents as being key to helping them say yes to events, boosting both their confidence and preparedness for any panel work. An overwhelming majority, some 74% of respondents, said they would like training to be offered as part of panel selection.   TOP FIVE SOLUTIONS Having more exciting/relevant topics of debate Giving sufficient notice Holding the event at a more convenient time Ensuring a pre-event meet-up/question run-through Providing relevant training.   What firms can do Several women who responded to our survey said they felt that their workplace was not understanding of the time needed to prepare for events, and that many did not sufficiently support or promote the value of being involved in events. A supportive leadership team that champions its women (and all staff) for the expertise they have is vital in making sure that everyone – regardless of their gender, race, age or experience – feels empowered enough to represent themselves and their companies at industry events. In-house training for all staff who show an interest in public speaking should be offered, and members of staff who are regularly asked to take part in industry events should try to suggest an alternative representative on occasion as part of the firm’s diversity and inclusion pledges. What EG will do EG will continue its endeavour to have mixed panels. EG pledges to make sure that women are properly selected for its events. EG will endeavour to provide at least one month’s notice to invited panellists/speakers. EG will continue to provide a range of events at different times of the day in different locations. EG, through its REWIRE initiative, will seek to arrange more events that enable a wide spectrum of the industry to practise and hone their skills in a safe environment. EG will continue to work collaboratively with the industry to champion a more diverse and inclusive real estate sector, and will continue to collect and respond appropriately to all feedback. EG will monitor and report on its progress in living up to its pledges. EG will provide quarterly training sessions through REWIRE to equip anyone who needs it with the skills and confidence to speak on panels.   REWIRE is EG’s diversity and inclusion initiative. To find out more click here, and to sign up for information about events email samantha.mcclary@egi.co.uk   To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@egi.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @estatesgazette