Despite greater attention paid to gender diversity in recent years, progress toward parity in senior roles in the property sector remains slow, new research reveals.
Fresh analysis by We Are Unchained, to coincide with with Women In Estate Agency today and International Women’s Day on Saturday, shows that this is true for senior management: the vast majority of these roles are still held by men.
According to the data, women comprise 52% of all roles, 71% of non-management roles, yet only 42% of board-level positions.
The figures, collected from 1,106 professionals between March 3rd, 2024, and March 2nd, 2025, highlights a familiar pattern: women start their careers in real estate in strong numbers but see their representation dwindle as they climb the ranks.
This trend, developed by gender balance expert and founder of 20-First Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, describes the diverging career trajectories of men and women as they progress through corporate hierarchies. The result is a gap visually resembling an open jaw where men’s representation rises at each level while women’s declines.
Highlights:
+ All levels: 52% women, 48% men
+ Non-management: 71% women, 29% men
+ Junior management: 53% women, 47% men
+ Middle management: 41% women, 59% men
+ Senior management (below the board): 47% women, 53% men
+ Board level: 42% women, 58% men
The figures suggest women are progressing up the career ladder but face significant drop-offs at middle and senior management levels, with an almost 30% point shift in gender balance between non-management and board-level roles.
Industry leaders have call for action.
Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa Property and Chair of WiEA, said: “The gender gap in UK estate agency, particularly the stark contrast at Board Level, is disappointing and frustrating in equal measure. Whilst it is encouraging to see progress from last year’s data when women represented 75% at entry level positions but only 31% at Board level, we still have so much more to do.
” I don’t believe that the issue here is that women have a ceiling to their capability, nor do I think that women are not “good enough”. We must acknowledge that women are still not getting enough of the opportunities that we deserve. We have a joint responsibility as leaders (male & female) to change the narrative that women cannot lead as well as men and, until we do, we will not see an industry that is reaching its full potential.”
Kirsty Franks, owner of Frank Marketing and board member for Women in Estate Agency, commented: “The gender jaws highlights the stark reality that we still have a long way to go in achieving true equality within the sector. There are, no doubt, countless factors behind the lack of female senior leaders when compared to junior employees. Still, through our work at WiEA, we aim to support, empower, and champion women throughout their estate agency careers so that this gap continues to reduce, and women are given fair and equal opportunities to their male counterparts.”
Megan Eighteen, head of development for Home Finders, says it is “disheartening” to see that while women occupy the majority of non-management roles, their representation dwindles significantly as they move up to board positions.
“There’s still a long way to go in supporting women, especially in helping them re-enter the workforce after becoming mothers or facing similar life changes,” she said. “If there’s one takeaway from this International Women’s Day, let it be this: support women returning to work, provide proper support during maternity leave, and truly consider their choices around breastfeeding. Becoming a mother changes every aspect of life, and from personal experience, it can deeply impact confidence and identity, on top of the natural instinct of missing your baby. Still, it increases skills like empathy and patience, which are needed in leadership positions.”
Cindy Slaughter, marketing director of Avocado and Momentum Portfolio, added: “The estate agency industry has made progress in gender balance, with a slight uplift in female representation at the senior management level. However, this still falls short compared to the presence of men in these roles.
“ To truly drive the industry forward in an equal and balanced way, we must focus on creating clear pathways for women to transition from middle management into senior leadership and board level roles. This isn’t just about increasing numbers, it’s about embracing and valuing the diverse leadership styles women bring. To make this shift, we need the support of our male counterparts and a collective acceptance of different leadership approaches. I consider myself one of the lucky ones – striving to set an example for others to follow and proving that the route to the top should be open to everyone, regardless of gender.”
Significantly more needs to be done in the property sector to address systemic barriers, including promotion bias, lack of flexible leadership pathways, and entrenched workplace cultures favouring male career progression, according to Simon Leadbetter, co-founder of We Are Unchained and The Voice of the Agent.
He commented: “These findings confirm what many in the industry have long suspected – real estate remains a sector where women’s careers stall as they move towards leadership. The issue is not a lack of talent but a structural bias that subtly, yet persistently, tilts the playing field in favour of men. If we are serious about retaining top female talent, we must rethink how the industry and its current leadership support and promote them throughout their careers.”
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/women-dominate-entry-level-agency-jobs-but-face-sharp-drop-in-senior-positions/
