Bess Freedman to Business Insider: What It’s Really Like to be a Woman in Real Estate

Women make up most of the real estate work force in America, roughly 65% according to the National Association of Realtors, but that doesn’t mean there’s a level playing field. In fact, women are underrepresented in leadership roles and a barrage of misconduct allegations are putting a bright spotlight on the industry.

Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman, along with 3 other woman real estate agents, spoke with Business Insider about some of the double standards and discrimination they’ve experienced in their real estate careers. 

“Before becoming Brown Harris Stevens’s CEO, I was an agent in New York City. I quickly learned that you have to hustle twice as hard as a woman,” began Freedman.

Early on in her career, she described being asked out on a date by a seller/client, and her work ethic was questioned relentlessly by another client who insinuated she could not possibly handle both work and motherhood.

“The double standard may have diminished a bit, but if you talk to women all over this country, for the most part, if they’re working, they’re also managing a household and their kids’ schedules,” Freedman explained.

While she says there is more parity within the industry now than in the past, there is still more work to be done on the equality front.

You can read the full Business Insider  article here (subscription required) or on DNYUZ.

Click here to learn more about Bess Freedman