Female brokers talk about the path to leadership and fostering a community of support for women who want to rise in the ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women in real estate should mentor and support other women, building up each other\u2019s confidence to achieve higher echelons in the industry, many female brokers say. It\u2019s an important time to empower women, considering they account for 62% of the REALTOR\u00ae membership but hold fewer leadership positions, says Carla Hayes, director of industry and public relations at Coldwell Banker Real Estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shattering the glass ceiling can be difficult. Whether it\u2019s working as a single mom, building self-confidence alongside male colleagues or ascending the ranks at a male-dominated brokerage, there are many challenges that should bring women together. Female brokers address the hurdles in their own careers and offer tips for how women in leadership roles can influence change in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women promoting women.<\/strong> Lori Arnold, broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Apex, REALTORS\u00ae, in McKinney, Texas, recalls starting in real estate at 19 years old, working for an office that grew from five sales associates to 800 over several years. \u201cI started realizing how few women were in those positions,\u201d Arnold says. \u201cWe need to make sure we are promoting, supporting and giving women the same opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arnold says women need to find their voices in the business and help others acknowledge that balancing parenthood with a career has different connotations for women and men. She says she empathizes with single moms who have a baby carrier under their desk. She tried to exude \u201chaving it all\u201d and encouraged and supported others in the same circumstance. \u201cAs women, we carry a lot of guilt about what we\u2019re doing because we\u2019re busy working, and we never feel like we\u2019re good enough at what we\u2019re trying to do,\u201d Arnold said. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to juggle a lot of things as a woman, and we have to support one another. Sometimes, we\u2019re the first to be critical of another woman instead of saying, \u2018I\u2019m here for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a more welcoming culture.<\/strong> Sheri Arnold, CCIM, president of Coldwell Banker Commercial Arnold and Associates in Beaumont, Texas, says she built an all-female sales team and a company culture of sticking together like a family. \u201cWe found women are better listeners and understand more about the needs of our clients,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Embracing your individuality.<\/strong> \u201cOne of the things women struggle with is we don\u2019t believe in ourselves as much as men,\u201d says Talisa Bealum, GRI, branch manager at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Auburn, Calif. \u201cIf [men] get an opportunity, they think they\u2019ve earned it. If we get an opportunity, we look at ourselves and ask if we can handle it. Our mindset can hold us back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bealum, a Black woman, said she sees her career through the prism of both her race and gender. Oftentimes, when she walks into a room, she doesn\u2019t see anyone else who looks like her. When that happens, she takes a breath and centers herself, she says. \u201cI have mentally prepared that I am the only one who looks like me. That has given me an edge and purpose and led me to be more confident in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believing in your abilities.<\/strong> Leslee MacKenzie, broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty in Burlington, Vt., says she earned a business degree and worked in retail management before beginning her real estate career. She says she wanted to give other women a chance at her brokerage, creating a management team made up of five women and one man. Four of the women, she says, are single moms who support each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacKenzie says young women need the self-confidence to pursue any goal, even if the path to get there isn\u2019t clear. No matter your career, skills are transferrable, she adds. \u201cWe think when we\u2019re new to something, we need to know everything before we apply. We have to have more confidence in ourselves that we have the aptitude and knowledge and that we can apply for the job and get it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arnold recalls a trip to New York, where she saw an art display with \u201cyes\u201d and \u201cno\u201d buttons. Nearly all the no buttons were removed, and that got her thinking about her own career path. \u201cI thought about all of the things I was afraid to say yes to and how, if I never said yes, I wouldn\u2019t be running the company today,\u201d Arnold says. \u201cYou know what? If you fail, so what? You learn from failure, too, not just from success. Being willing to say yes is huge for women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n MacKenzie warns, however, that sometimes women are \u201cpredisposed to say yes to things they shouldn\u2019t. \u2026 Learn both words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be afraid to make decisions for yourself and your business, says Lindi Braddock, broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Properties Unlimited in Brenham, Texas. \u201cJust take care of your clients and go for it\u2014get up and do it,\u201d Braddock says. \u201cIt\u2019s an amazing ride.\u201d But even if you say yes to something, you can always change your mind, Bealum adds. \u201cIf you make a decision, and it\u2019s not the right decision, make another. You\u2019re not stuck just because you made one. You can always change your mind and do something different.\u201d Bealum says women don\u2019t have to be humble in order to pave their path in business and life. She says women tend not to go for leadership roles and pounce on professional opportunities because they\u2019ve been taught not to be as aggressive as men. \u201cWhat\u2019s important to me is to make sure I take each and every opportunity granted to me\u2014and take full advantage of it\u2014and let people know my intention if I want to choose a certain path.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n National Association of REALTORS\u00ae Female brokers talk about the path to leadership and fostering a community of support for women who want to rise in the ranks. Women in real estate should mentor and support other women, building up each other\u2019s confidence to achieve higher echelons in the industry, many female brokers say. It\u2019s an important time to empower … <\/p>\nConfident Decision-Making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Reprinted with permission<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"