The XX Factor: Building diversity in the property sector

A WOMAN’S place isn’t in the home anymore. It’s in the industrial shed, the quantity surveyor’s office, the architecture firm, the construction site and signing the deal for a new development.

This may seem self-evident but the property sector, from agency and professional levels through to on-site construction and design, has still been a difficult sector to traverse for women.

There are the pay gaps (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors estimates there is a 28% pay gap between male and female members) and the lack of women in the pipeline indicating that there is a limited amount of young women considering property in any shape or form as a career.

According to construction workers’ union UCATT and the Office for National Statistics, women make up only 11% of the construction sector, with a mere 1.2% working in manual labour trades.

The ONS found that there were 221,000 women in the construction sector in April-June 2015, 4.5% less than the year before and it has stayed static for the past three years.

Lucy Sturrock, a partner in the real estate division of Addleshaw Goddard, specialising in retail and leisure, as well as demolition and refurbishment, has had experience working in the sector.

She said: “There are more women qualifying in real estate law than men. These ratios are reversed in the construction industry where women are still in the minority. If there is discrimination in property it is likely to be more evident on the building site.”

In a 2014 survey, UCATT found that the top three problems for women in construction were a lack of promotion prospects; lower pay than their male colleagues and feeling isolated.

Michaela Graham, chair of the Yorkshire & North East Branch of Women in Property and design manager at £56m-turnover George Downing Construction, has firsthand experience on site. She said: “It’s not just builders, but it does tend to be the older generation that are less used to having women around.”

Perceived lack of interest in diversity from the top has contributed to fewer women joining the industry, especially on the technical side, she said.

The property industry is not known for being light on its feet, but real estate director at Deloitte, Angela Barnicle said it was essential for them to try if they were going to be able to attract talent of both genders.

“You have to look at the generational agenda,” she said. “What millennials want now as opposed to what my generation would want is more about work-life balance – does how we work improve things for women?”

Ms Barnicle has an all female team; “Not by design,” she says, “but by default.”

But she said even at MIPIM earlier this year there was “evidence of the underrepresentation of women at a senior level.” She said “We may still be one generation away from more equal representation, but business in general has really woken up to this issue and is trying to tackle it.”

Similarly, Ms Sturrock said the picture looked different in property law. She said: “There isn’t such a macho culture in property law.

“In property there is much more conciliatory role, especially in the legals,” she said. “You have to be persuasive, and as a discipline it tends to have less ego in it. It is much more about working together towards a common goal.”

“People are less narrow minded than they were 20 years ago at the potential of women and equality for women. That gives hope for the future. The key thing is to getting more women into senior posts.”

As in other industries, the key seems to be creating a good working environment geared towards specific needs.

But there are obvious constraints to flexible working in property and construction compared to other industries, with tight deadlines on developments.

“Inclusivity is key,” Ms Barnicle said. “If a woman wants to do a four-day week, then a man should be able to as well, and be given the confidence to do that by his employer.

“We have to make it a level playing field and make sure all jobs are accessible. Part time working was a thing that wasn’t done before, but now it is more acceptable to clients and in general, agility in workforce has been inclusive.

“Agility in working patterns has been empowering in allowing me to be in the schoolyard and see my children, then log back on in an evening. I’m trusted by output rather than visibility.”

Louise Hirst, partner at Carter Jonas, said: “As a woman it is harder to get the initial opportunity to make a mark and to take on senior level jobs. This could be down to many stereotypes. Women tend to showcase their personal success less – men are generally happier to talk about what they have achieved.

“In terms of progression, property is still a male dominated industry and the networking events largely surround male interests such as golf days, rugby club dinners and the like.”

One organisation that exists to provide an alternative is Women in Property. Michaela Graham has been a member for 15 years before becoming regional chair, and she said the makeup of the group itself has changed in that time.

She said: “Members of Women in Property have diversified as more women enter the sector, but there is still a gap in the technical side.”

From the odd interior designer and a lot of lawyers, she said, there are now women that work on site, as well as architects, planners, engineers and agents, women in facilities management and surveying.

But the picture isn’t all rosy, and change will take time said Ms Graham. “It will be quite a while before we get equality across the whole sector. It is much better at the professional end, but on site it will be difficult. The culture there is slow to change.”

Ms Sturrock said: “We tend to work with fund managers, property directors and in house teams where there is reasonable balance. There are a lot of women in property law, but the majority of clients, especially in construction, are still men.”

Ms Barnicle said: “Some parts of property seem to be more attractive or are better at recruiting and appealing to women.

“My clients are mainly men, so maybe I’m so institutionalised that I don’t even notice. I don’t walk into a room and think, ‘I’m the only woman in here.’

“I came through the industry and there are lot of trailblazers ahead of me. Once you have a diverse employment you get a holistic view which can only be a good thing.”