International Women’s Day 2026: Give to Gain, Advancing Women in Real Estate

International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate progress, recognise challenges and champion meaningful change. This year’s theme, ‘Give to Gain’, resonates strongly within real estate, an industry built on long-term investment, partnership and social impact.

Despite rapid evolution in the UK property market, gender disparity remains a persistent issue, particularly at senior and executive levels. Understanding where the UK stands, how we compare globally and what actions can accelerate change is essential to shaping a more inclusive future.

The State of Gender Representation in UK Real Estate

The UK property sector shows a clear imbalance in progression:

• Women represent 52% of all roles and 71% of non-management roles in real estate, yet hold only 42% of board level positions. This pattern, often called the ‘gender jaws’, highlights a sharp drop off at senior levels despite strong early career representation.
• Fewer than 33% of executive teams include women, and progress is typically no more than 1% year on year.

The data shows the problem is not the pipeline. The real issue lies in the structural and cultural barriers that limit women’s progression.

A Leader’s Perspective: Anthea Harries on Progress and Change

To mark International Women’s Day, it’s important to recognise the experiences of women who have seen the industry change over time.

Anthea Harries, Asset Management Director at King’s Cross, one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects, reflects on that shift:

“I recall there were four women on my estate management course out of 100… At British Land I remember I was the only female surveyor in the team at first. Now I would think it is around 50:50 to show how things have changed.”

Her perspective highlights both the historic imbalance and the progress achieved through persistence, cultural change and organisational commitment.

How the UK Compares Globally

International comparisons show both encouraging examples and areas where the UK must continue to improve:

• In the United States, women make up the majority of residential real estate, but hold only 36.7% of roles in the commercial sector.
• Global representation of women in commercial real estate ranges from 39.8% to 45.6%.
• Nordic countries, including Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark, consistently lead global gender equity rankings due to strong policy support and balanced workforce participation.

While the UK has made progress, global benchmarks show that further structural and policy changes are required.

Give to Gain: Why Gender Equity Strengthens Real Estate

The benefits of investing in women in real estate are clear:

• Diverse leadership increases financial performance, innovation and quality of decision making.
• Companies with strong inclusion programmes have higher retention, better promotion pathways and improved talent attraction.
• Early career support helps build long-term capability and strengthens the talent pipeline.

Supporting women is not only the right thing to do. It’s a strategic investment in the future of the industry.

Five Priorities to Accelerate Progress

To ensure more women join, stay and move into leadership roles, the sector should prioritise the following:

1. Leadership commitment - Senior leaders must set expectations, demonstrate inclusive behaviour and actively support the advancement of women.
2. Data-driven action - Tracking representation, recruitment, pay equity, promotions and attrition creates accountability and guides meaningful action.
3. Structured mentorship and sponsorship - Mentorship significantly improves promotion rates, particularly at mid-career level, where women are most likely to leave the sector.
4. Flexible and inclusive working models - Flexible work is one of the most effective tools for supporting a diverse workforce and improving long-term retention.
5. Strengthened early career pathways - Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes diversify entry into the sector and provide essential early experience.

The RE:Futures Programme - Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

As BPF, AREF and IPF merge next month to form Real Estate:UK, the RE:Futures programme will embody the ‘Give to Gain’ theme by investing in early career professionals and strengthening the future leadership pipeline.

The programme will provide:

• Cross sector events and panel discussions
• Networking with peers and industry leaders
• Speaking and presentation opportunities
• Mentorship connections
• Access to conferences and thought leadership
• A platform to elevate diverse emerging voices

RE:Futures will help to develop a new generation of future-ready professionals who will shape the industry in the years ahead.

Driving Change Forward

This International Women’s Day, we recognise that giving women visibility, opportunity and flexibility unlocks immense value for the sector.

The UK real estate industry is rich with talent and potential. By giving more space, more support, more pathways and more trust, we gain a more innovative, balanced and representative industry.