There are many very successful women working in real estate, and on International Women's Day we look at what allows women's careers to flourish in the industry.

"I think women make fantastic real estate agents," says Leanne Pilkington, president of the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales.

Empathy

Women are often the decision maker when it comes to buying property, and are empathetic and good at relationships, she told WILLIAMS MEDIA.

Women can relate to what buyers and sellers go through when making big decisions about real estate, and are good at "smoothing the waters" through what can be a stressful time.

Multitasking

Women are also really good at multitasking, said Pilkington, and there's always lots going in real estate offices, she said.

Confidence

"I would like more women to have more confidence in themselves," concluded Pilkington. "Some do," she said, but "a lot of women hold themselves back" she observed.

Sharon Bennie, of Specialist Property Recruitment, told WILLIAMS MEDIA that "real estate can be an excellent industry for women, but, like any industry, it's really what you make of it."

Cloud-based software allows flexibility

A lot of software in the real estate industry is now cloud based, says Bennie, meaning it's possible to work anywhere. If your company is prepared to offer flexible work arrangements, women can work around other commitments, for example they might work from home at night to make up for any time missed meeting family commitments during the day.

Deconstructed roles 

Strata and real estate businesses have become more professional, says Bennie. Roles have become deconstructed, so various parts of a role that were previously done by one person can now be done by a number of people. For example, property managers no longer have to work on Saturdays, but if they do, the Saturday role is often done by a second person.

Natural troughs coincide with school holidays

Real estate businesses have natural peaks and troughs throughout the year. It just so happens that most of the troughs coincide with school holidays, says Bennie, allowing agents to take time off during the holidays to spend time with their family.

Support networks

There are a lot of excellent support networks for women in the real estate industry, says Bennie. Women in Strata and Leanne Pilkington's Real Women in Real Estate networks are key examples.

Take a look at employment opportunities in real estate on RECON Jobs.

Read more about women in the property industry:

Women In Strata, connecting women in strata management

Prominent Queensland agent Sherrie Storor takes Women in Real Estate event national

Real Women in Real Estate's 2018 event dates