It’s Women’s History Month, so let’s take a moment to celebrate how far women have come in the real estate industry. To date, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has had seven women elected as president, and 66% of NAR members are women.
In addition, according to the 2022 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report, single female homebuyers are the second-largest group of buyers. This has been the case since the report started in 1981. Single females comprised 17% of all buyers compared to married couples (61%), single males (9%), unmarried couples (10%) and “other” (3%).
Women are clearly thriving in real estate. If you’re interested in advancing your career and pursuing a leadership role within the industry, here are seven recommendations that could help pave the way.
- Consider earning a designation and actively participating in its designee-only communities and activities. This will help build your network and increase your name recognition among your peers.
- Enroll in the REALTOR® L.E.A.D. courses. NAR thought leaders created these courses to inspire, motivate, train and educate aspiring leaders at every association level. Get started at learning.realtor.
- Join women-focused professional development organizations such as the Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR) and attend local and national networking and educational events. Surrounding yourself with gifted real estate professionals will inspire you and help you form strong connections with other female leaders.
- Audit your social media feeds and take note of how many female top-producing agents, instructors and leaders you follow. If there is a gender imbalance in the content you see in your feeds, intentionally follow, support and engage with content from other prominent female agents.
- Seek mentors who can provide guidance, inspiration and accountability. Ask your brokerage about coaching opportunities and resources that could benefit you.
- Build authority through your personal brand. Share commentary, tips and insight on the industry and your local market through marketing and social media posts. Seek out PR opportunities to showcase your expertise as well.
- Don’t wait to be “tapped” for leadership. Proactively apply for roles, boards and committees in your national, state and local associations.
By arming yourself with education, expanding your networking, increasing your name recognition and pursuing a variety of opportunities, you will be firmly on the path to advancing your career.
Learn more about CRD at crd.realtor.
