Even woman-dominated industries have glass ceilings, Coldwell Banker survey finds

A recent survey released by Madison-based Coldwell Banker Real Estate revealed that men are 75 percent more likely than women to hold executive-level positions even in female-dominated industries, such as real estate, health care and education.

“Women in real estate face an upward mobility challenge, and it’s our responsibility to help correct the gender leadership gap,” Zoe Horneck, vice president of product marketing and communications at Coldwell Banker, said. “Our brand is supporting current and aspiring women leaders by providing formal management training, online courses and in-person networking opportunities.

“Our work has only just begun, and we’re committed to ensuring that women across our network can envision a path to leadership and are given a variety of opportunities to exercise their leadership skills.”

According to the National Association of Realtors, women account for 67 percent of all real estate agents, yet only 46 percent of non-selling broker-owners are women.

But Coldwell Banker’s “Examining Women and Leadership” survey of more than 2,000 employed U.S. adults revealed the issue is prevalent across multiple industries.

According to the survey, more than one-third of Americans agree that women face a “glass ceiling,” making it more difficult for women to reach executive or senior-level positions, and nearly 41 percent agree that women have to work harder than men to earn an executive level position at their company.

Still, just 64 percent agree that working for a company that has female representation at the executive level is important to them, with 40 percent also stating that their company does not offer formal leadership training programs.

“As the owner of the largest female-operated Coldwell Banker affiliate, I’m motivated to inspire the women in my community to reach their professional goals,” Lori Arnold, broker-owner at Coldwell Banker Apex in Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas, said. “Women succeed at our brokerage because of the continuous support from all members of our team and the initiatives of the Coldwell Banker brand to empower its agents.”

Coldwell Banker Real Estate, a leading provider of residential and commercial real estate brokerage services since 1906, employs more than 92,000 affiliated sales professionals across 3,000 offices in 47 countries and territories.

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