Real Estate Trend: Women Rise to Top Jobs in Real Estate

When compared to other professions and industries, real estate has long been one where women can more easily achieve success and equality with men.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) profile even put the number of all sales agents at 65% female.

But that’s not what a new Report is referring to. The just released 2008 edition of the Swanepoel Trends Report is referring to management, and not even at middle management levels but executive levels. “Women have reached the top,” says Stefan Swanepoel.  According to Swanepoel, in the last couple of years  women have moved into the #1 or #2 positions at numerous leading national real estate companies – positions that until recently had been dominated by men. 

“One need only look back a decade or two to see that very few of the top two positions in a national real estate company have been held by women.  But 2007 paints a very different picture and one I am positive will continue to develop in the years ahead,” Swanepoel says.

Take a look at this partial list of women in top positions as published in the Swanepoel Trends Report 2008 (page 21).

·         Mo Anderson – President, Keller Williams Real Estate

·         Shelia Bair – Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

·         Tami Bonnell – President EXIT USA

·         Lorna Borenstein – President, Move, Inc.

·         Debbie Campagnola – CEO, ARELLO

·         Brenda Casserly – President, ERA Real Estate

·         Shari Chase – President , Chase International

·         Sherry Chris – CEO, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

·         Beverly Faull – General Manager, Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions

·         Helen Hanna Casey – President, Howard Hanna Real Estate

·         Dottie Herman – CEO, Prudential Douglas Elliman

·         Laurie Janick – General Counsel, NAR

·         Susan Johnson – President , Real Estate Settlement Providers Council

·         Laurie Keenan – President, Prudential Real Estate Affiliates

·         Margaret Kelly – COO, REMAX International

·         Pamela Leibman – CEO,  The Corcoran Group

·         Gail Liniger – Vice Chairman, REMAX International

·         Pam O’Connor – CEO, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

·         Joyce Paron  –  President, EXIT Canada

·         Kaira Rouda – COO, Real Living

·         Brenda Shipplett – COO, Long & Foster Companies

·         Sarah Shoemaker – COO, Real Living

·         Pat Vredevoogd Combs –NAR President 2007

“Women are more confident and financially savvy than ever before.” Echoing the sentiment is outgoing 2007 NAR President, Pat Vredevoogd Combs, herself an excellent example of a woman achieving the highest elected position in the largest trade association in the world.

Rounding out Trend #10, “Shattered Glass” as the trend is listed in the Report, is an evaluation of the important impact of the Youth and Minorities in real estate. In total, there are another nine key business real estate trends incorporated in the impressive 170-page 2008 Swanepoel Trends Report that was just released by RealSure Publishing.