The Industry
As many industries were, the estate agency market was traditionally a male-dominated sector. Business owners were men, senior managers were men and the women answered the phones and made a good cup of tea. But over the past decade, we’ve seen a huge shift. With the rise of successful female professionals, women in estate agency are smashing sales targets, managing national businesses, or founding their own agencies, women are not just participating in estate agency, they’re shaping its future.
Today, women still make up 71% of non-management roles in the industry. More women are being promoted to junior and middle management but only 42% of women make it to board-level leadership.
Confidence Vs Competence
So the big question is: why is this still happening?
The answer is Confidence overrides Competence.
A friend recently told me:
“When men read a job description, they’ll apply even if they can only do half the tasks. Women, on the other hand, won’t apply unless they feel confident doing at least 80%.”
This is backed by research. But it’s not because women lack ambition or ability; It’s because they’ve often been socialised to believe they must meet every requirement to be “qualified.” Men, by contrast, are more likely to view job criteria as flexible guidelines and tell themselves that they can learn the rest on the job.
This mindset, often referred to as the confidence gap, is shaped by a combination of societal messages, early conditioning, and workplace culture. From a young age, girls are often praised for being “careful” or “perfect,” while boys are rewarded for taking risks. These patterns echo later in life, where women may hold back from promotions, shy away from asking for pay increases, or put off career pivots unless they feel 100% ready.
Changing the future
Thankfully, the tide is turning. Initiatives like Women in Estate Agency (WiEA), mentorship programs, and visibility campaigns (such as Bisnow’s Women Leading Real Estate) are helping to close the gap. More women are founding their own companies, defining leadership on their own terms, becoming self employed and promoting others as they rise. Successful individuals such as Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa, Kirsty Franks, Founder of Frank Marketing Agency and Megan Eighteen, President of ARLA Propertymark are leading the way for other women in estate agency.
But change takes time. We all have a role to play in challenging outdated norms, reframing job criteria, and supporting more women into leadership. It starts with us and the time is now.
We need to believe in ourselves. We need to believe that we can do it and that we can do it well. It’s not about feminism or putting men down, it’s about supporting and promoting achievements no matter who the person is.
So, apply for that job, take the leap into something new and be confident in you being able to shape your own future.
