International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on 8 March, has a long history of championing women's achievements across all industries - including property, a sector traditionally dominated by men. According to the latest English Housing Survey, the proportion of female landlords has increased from 44% to 50% since 2021. However, women in property still face unique challenges from workplace biases to safety concerns. The gender pay gap in estate agency has actually grown, with research from the Office for National Statistics revealing a 47.4% gap in pay between men and women working in real estate. Yet through resilience, innovation, and a commitment to raising industry standards, there are plenty of women who are shaping the future of the sector.
In this guest blog, Victoria Valentine, industry speaker and landlord advisor at Landlord Action, shares her journey from frustrated landlord to award-winning estate agency owner. Drawing from firsthand experience of the industry's flaws, she set out to create a business built on relationships, transparency, and trust - while building a thriving, all-female team. Her story highlights both the challenges and opportunities women face in property, from breaking through gender biases to empowering women in a male-dominated field.
“For years, I was a frustrated landlord before finally taking the leap to start my own estate agency.. My decision was driven by repeated disappointment and frustration with existing lettings agencies. Surely, I thought, managing property couldn’t be that difficult - right? I completed multiple lettings qualifications and exams while learning the ropes - making all the usual mistakes on my own properties before working with clients. I created a new brand and took all the things I disliked about the competition and flipped it on its head. I wanted a bright and welcoming shop where landlords could grab a coffee and spend time chatting, rather than feeling rushed or pressurised. I wanted educated and honest staff who took time to make friends with clients. This isn’t some box-shifting sales technique, we were asking them to trust us with their houses, so relationship-building was key.
Consequently, my agency was excellent. Training was kept in-house for consistency, staff were happy and received generous commission, and feedback from the public was very positive. The agency and I won multiple awards and together we were quickly recognised as a major player in the local area.
Strangely, all of my staff over the years were women. Not because I planned it this way, but because the industry seems to attract more women than men. Simply put, there was a significantly higher number of female applicants applying for the roles. And they were good! Interviews were more like coffee with a friend, and a vibrant personality was what I was looking for. This is what was missing when I’d walked into other agencies. Usually, I was passed a property brochure that I could have downloaded myself, then shown the door. As a woman, I wasn’t seen as the decision-maker and on several occasions, I’d been told as much.
Further research revealed that nearly three-quarters of non-management real estate roles in the UK are held by women, making it less surprising that most of my applicants were female. However, despite this, almost three-quarters of management positions in real estate are still occupied by men—an alarming imbalance, particularly given that men account for just 25% of entry-level roles. It certainly isn’t down to lack of ambition or competence from the ladies.
Nonetheless, having a team of women was empowering and I was extremely proud to have them fiercely flying the flag for our little business. Unsurprisingly, working in an all-female team came with challenges. Inappropriate remarks, indecent exposure, and even threats of violence towards staff became all too frequent, forcing us to adapt our working practices to prioritise safety and mental well-being. I wonder whether male staff would have suffered the same?
When I first opened the business, the majority of serious networking events were predominantly men-in-suits. Most women attending were promoting products like cupcakes, scarves or handmade jewellery - lovely in their own right, but a stark contrast to the corporate real estate world I was navigating. Referrals from these groups were scarce and the women who attended seemed to gravitate towards the other women. Perhaps we all felt the same uneasy imposter syndrome, wondering why we even went there at all. I first noticed the women only groups popping up via social media. Smaller Facebook groups, closely followed by people wanting to meet for a coffee and a chat. We talked about our families, where we walked our dogs, our various experiences at other networking events, oh and then we asked what we each did for a living. It seemed that the friendship came first and the business then followed, organically. It was representative of women in the real-world, similar to being at the school gates when picking up our children. Moreover, these women didn’t just work in the business, similar to myself, they lived and breathed their business. They were passionate, seemingly working harder for the right to be respected in our chosen industries, and had thicker skin, fiercer determination and that girl-power camaraderie.
The reality is women in property support and celebrate other women in property. Healthy competition promotes excellence and raises the industry standard. With women now making up half of UK landlords and the rise of women-only property networking events, the industry is clearly evolving. Advocacy, mentorship, and education are key to long-term success, and I hope more women take advantage of these opportunities to level the playing field.”
As women take up an increasing share of roles in the rental sector, Victoria’s insights serve as both an inspiration and a call to action. There is strength in numbers, and by supporting, mentoring, and championing each other, women in property can continue to reshape the industry to build a more inclusive and successful sector.
Angharad Trueman, Group Lettings Director at Andrews and current ARLA Propertymark President, has highlighted that while women’s voices may be heard in thousands of estate agency branches every day, too few feature in national, local and industry blogs and property conferences. Out of frustration and a lack of diverse voices in the sector, she has curated a ‘Women Speakers in Property’ list aimed at amplifying the voices of women in the property industry.
It highlights female professionals who are experienced and knowledgeable in various aspects of property, offering a platform to promote diversity and inclusion at industry events, panels, and conferences. “Without change”, says Angharad, “we will continue to hear the same old voices and as women we have a unique viewpoint of the property sector, so it’s important we are able to share it.”
Each woman featured in the list has a small bio and they can all be contacted on LinkedIn for any podcast, events or PR opportunities. Get the list here.
For more insights from successful women in property listen to recent episodes of The LandlordZONE podcast:
See our blog, ‘International Women’s Day: Celebrating the progress of women in property’, for further relevant reading.
