Why it is time to dig deeper, look closer and think bigger

COMMENT: When we launched Redefining Real Estate last year, we wanted to make a statement – just as we did when we made our statement of principles for a diverse and inclusive real estate industry in 2017. Yes, we wanted to talk about the four pillars: maximising our industry’s capacity to improve productivity; safeguard the environment; nurture a more diverse workforce; and strengthen communities across the UK. But ultimately we wanted to be proud of our values as an industry, and to be honest about our need and ambition to live them and to do better for the local communities we serve.  Holding fast It is my hope and belief that those values and ambitions have not wavered in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and that today we are united in our belief that recovery post-Covid will be short-lived if the path we use to get us there isn’t built upon the foundations laid out in Redefining Real Estate. This isn’t just the right thing to do. It is business critical. Our behaviours and how we uphold our values throughout and beyond this crisis will be remembered, and this will underpin our licence to operate for decades to come. That’s hugely positive – but we also need a big dose of realism about where we are on this journey. In Black History Month it’s particularly appropriate to take stock and hold ourselves to account. The findings uncovered by EG’s race diversity survey should rightly be sending seismic shockwaves across the property industry. BAME property professionals have spoken out to EG – they feel let down, shut out and silenced working in this industry. Our industry is diverse in regard to the places and buildings we create, and the communities we support come in all shapes, sizes and colours, but our workforce does not reflect this. Our commitment to improving social equality among the communities we serve will amount to nothing more than rhetoric if we cannot ensure our own houses are open and welcoming, and truly provide equal opportunity for all. Firstly, we must listen and learn. Clearly we haven’t been listening well enough, as evidenced by the overly optimistic response by white people in the race survey. Then, we must take action. Decisive action. How can it be the case, despite all the best intentions of so many, that our BAME people in the property community are questioning whether they have a future in this industry? Of course this starts with leadership. Let’s call a spade a spade – in case anyone is misled by the relatively comfortable phrases ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ – we are talking about racism. It is unacceptable, and leaders must shine a spotlight on inappropriate behaviour and embed a culture of education to uproot the seed that breeds racist attitudes within their respective organisations. Individual efforts But, it isn’t just a leadership issue – it’s one for all of us to face up to. Each one of us needs to take responsibility for our own behaviour, and to understand what drives it. As well as hearing and responding positively to how our colleagues – and friends – feel about working in real estate, let’s listen to the students, of whom (according to a recent survey by Sqft Digital) three quarters believe that one of the most important attributes a future employer can have is a commitment to a diverse workforce.  As we learn to survive the Covid-19 headwinds today, let’s not forget what will be required to thrive tomorrow. Change is difficult, it takes real commitment and laser focus – not just during one month of the year, but each and every day. If we want to create a truly diverse and inclusive property sector we owe it to our current and future colleagues to ‘dig deeper, look closer, think bigger’. Melanie Leech is chief executive of the British Property Federation Image © Monkey Business Images/REX/Shutterstock