"Women hold up half the sky”
Chinese Proverb

8th March: to mark International Women’s Day we decided to spotlight the role of women in Real Estate.

We don’t want to talk about wage-gap and all the issues related to work-life balance: there are plenty of more proper sources where you can deepen these highly-debated topics. Rather, we just want to highlight how in the past few decades we have witnessed a paradigm shift in the Real Estate industry, which has led to increasingly more firms fully directed by women, and to the growing inclusion of female talent.

The point is that Real Estate is no longer a man’s affair, since when women have started proving their worth in the business!

Why Real Estate is good for women

Let’s start with the basics: we do think that a career in real estate is just perfect for all women who are dreaming big. And by “dream big” we mean the desire to make an impact on their communities, while at the same time providing for their families’ financial future. Let’s face it: we help people making one of the most important steps in their life, i.e. owning a home.

Real estate is also one of the best careers for women who want to constantly learn new skills. In this field you always need to keep yourself up to date, and every day you learn something new about the business. If you want a career that will force you to stay on your toes and push forward — well, it’s real estate.

… and why women are so good for Real Estate!

Women are multitasking.

Women are naturally empathetic and sensitive.

Women are attentive to detail.

Women have a great level of persistence.

Women are patient.

Do we all agree that all these are GREAT advantages in the relationship with clients? There’s no doubt that all these skills are absolutely critical aspects in Real Estate, where the contact with the customers is daily.

Some elementary competencies required to become a good agent are strong and active network connections, familiarity with local areas and firm negotiation skills. Since these attributes come naturally to most women, they are becoming increasingly successful at their jobs, gradually redefining the industry altogether.

“Needless to say, a career in Real Estate is both challenging and rewarding. Looking at the current scenario, it seems that women agents have just started to touch the tip of the iceberg. Firms are consciously placing women in leadership positions due to their distinctive skill set, outlook and life experience that not only expands the firm’s vision but also yields on-ground results. The future of women in Real Estate is exceedingly bright and transformational, and the world has just got a glimpse of what they can do.”
Nidhi Sancheti

Some questions to Lakeside’s women

And now, let’s give the floor to our team! We are all women, did you know it? There’s Sara, our Founder & Managing Director, Elisa, Rentals Consultant and After-sales specialist, and Laura, Head of Marketing and Business Developer.

Why did you choose to work in Real Estate and what do you like most about this job?

Sara: Since I was a child, my father little by little introduced me to the Real Estate world unknowingly: he was working for a Building Company. I remember me happy going to check his works on site, walking next to iron pieces and bricks, paying attention to everything. I liked to see changes, and my father loves to change everything in “perfection”. His almost excessive attention to details, the pure love for period objects or, as I used to call when I was a child, the “rusty & dusty stuff”, the attraction for very particular buildings and the way they are built up: that was the first step into Real Estate I had.
Second and final step was when I started working for a Real Estate company. I was finishing my lessons at University, and just started a part-time job in a local agency. What I loved most was the connection between houses and clients, and the possibility to meet people from all over the world. For me it was like living in the most beautiful place on earth and at the same time being everywhere else through all the people I met. There I understood that was the job I wanted to do. And the same day, I stopped to call it a job.

Elisa: I had this opportunity immediately after school and I knew that with this kind of job I would have been able to apply all that I learnt in my field of study (tourism). The thing I like most about Real Estate is definitely the contact with clients from all over the world; seeing them falling in love with "my" lake makes me proud. Also, I like to help them feel at home, assisting in all the setting ups of their new property. It’s a genuine pleasure for me to help them with their new beginning on the shores of Lake Como!

Laura: I've always liked houses: when I was a child, my father built for me a dollhouse with an enviable attic, a balcony, a lift and huge living. I do think he’s been responsible for my obsession for certain typologies of properties! Jokes apart, I quit my corporate job for Real Estate, and I’m feeling more and more it’s been a wise choice.
What I love most in my marketing role is to describe the unique emotions that each property is able to convey. I like to say: there’s a world beyond the squared meters! Nowadays we have plenty of tech tools that really allow us to express the potentiality of a property at its best.

What characteristics do you think you need to work in this sector?

Sara: The Real Estate world has hundreds of shades: you must be the wise-smart person who's quick with the thoughts, fast problem-solver and open minded.
Empathy and respect are the basis of any relationship: with customers and with properties.

Elisa: Flexibility is key in Real Estate. We need to be always available for clients, and - mostly - able to find a solution to all their needs.
Trustworthiness (towards clients and my colleagues) is also crucial.
Last but definitely not least, discretion: it’s a fundamental aspect in this field! Giving a sense of trust makes customers feel confident that they can buy or rent a home in the most transparent and secure way.

Laura: Certainly a lot of empathy, both in fully understanding the buyers' requests (because those looking for a house essentially look for love at first sight, and you know it’s not immediate), and in relating to the sellers, who deserve that their home is communicated and enhanced in the best way possible.

Which of your soft skills are more useful for the work you do?

Sara: Introspection. In Real Estate, this has always helped me seeing “over the wall” and little things other people might not even noticed.
Tenacity. No one can stop me. Neither myself.
I remember when I was getting my license as a Real Estate Agent. One of our professors, Mr. Casartelli, said during one of the first lessons: “ I challenge any person in this class to get out of here and open a new Real Estate agency”. Sitting on my desk, in my head, I said “I’m here”. And I did it a few months later founding Lakeside.
I’m quite unpredictable: my team knows this very well. Everyday is new ideas, new layout, new technologies, new challenges. This is fun at work!
Honesty. You can’t move a step in Real Estate (and life in general) without this human side.
Responsibility. This is referred to my clients and my team. And especially to my lake.

Elisa: First, precision: the control of the work is essential for me, to be able to perform all tasks at best, without neglecting anything.
Then, my strong adaptability, that is useful in Real Estate because assignments vary from month to month, from week to week, depending upon clients’ requests. There’s always a chance that you’ll need to do something else or something new that you weren’t prepared for.

Laura: My willingness to listen and learn. One of the questions I like to ask a seller most is: tell me the story of your home. There I sit and take notes. Which doesn’t only mean knowing the year of construction, but also and above all the curiosities behind the small details, the family memories, the favorite rooms and the less favorite ones. The soul of the house, after all, passes through the life of those who lived there; and if you don't know such identity, you can't market a property.
Curiosity is also important when it comes to marketing: I’m eclectic, that is good when we need to be creative and figure out new ideas.

Which women did inspire you the most?

Sara: My two grandmothers have been a great source of inspiration for me. Nonna Annetta taught me that silence and patience in life are a big value, and that our secrecy... is all we have. She was a hard worker, with a boundless love for her family and for animals. Never a thought for herself, always for others.
Nonna Bianca instead was the one pushing me hard. Doing always the things I was feeling... and act on those feelings before it was too late. She raised two children and a business alone after her husband died very young.
Two super women: it means a lot to me to know I've always got them looking out for me.

Elisa: My mother, with any doubt. Her strength in facing every challenge, her great commitment to achieve her personal goals… but most of all, the sacrifices she made to be able to balance her family life with her own business. She taught me that women often have to face so many conflicting demands (much more than men!), but they have like an inner energy that enables them to do everything. Women like her rarely complain: they’re like trees, unalterably strong and positive.

Laura: My maternal grandmother had a great sensitivity, a marked creativity and a good dose of idealism: all "humanist" qualities that I have always taken as a model.
To Virginia Woolf I have to say a big thanks, because with her “A room of one’s own” I’ve soon understood the importance of economic independence for a woman, as well as… well, how crucial is to have a place where staying alone to dedicate time just to ourselves. All women deserve it!

Sara: on International Women’s Day, what’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in real estate?

Do it! Be patient, as nothing happens by chance. Be careful, as real estate world is hard to run.
We are women, we can do everything we want: we just need the right balance of risk, courage and fun. Listen to people when they talk to you. Take care of the people in your team, if you have one: they are the key to your success. I like to say my company is really made by people. And they are all people I love and wish them to go higher as they can. In life and business.
And always remember who you are: I do this everyday, cleaning my offices’ windows. Some people can think this is a stupid thing to do. For me this means keeping my feet firmly on the ground.

Come visit us, we can’t wait to meet you and hear your story.

Learn more

Sources: Real Estate Express Blog, Apr. 18, 2018; Nidhi Sancheti October 29, 2018.

Why Women Rock In Real Estate: Celebrating International Women's Day At Lakeside