Estate Agency network registers 50% increase in female applicants

March 2, 2021 / Isla MacFarlane
Estate Agency network registers 50% increase in female applicants

Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, French Estate Agency network Sextant Properties has announced that the number of female professionals applying to work as an estate agent with the group has doubled since 2014.

In 2020, 48% of applicants were female; compared to only 23% in 2014. Almost half (49%) of Sextant’s workforce is now female.

Matthieu Cany, director at Sextant, said: “We believe that an inclusive business is a successful business. Like so many career paths, the estate agency sector has always been male-dominated and it’s great to witness an increasing number of female professionals strengthening our industry.

“Sextant’s affiliates tend to have self-employed status which allows for a very flexible work schedule and a better work-life balance. This continues to be a key factor; especially for parents; male and female; who wish to build a career whilst being able to spend quality time with their family.”

In 2018, Sextant opened its network to professionals from various backgrounds who are looking to retrain and qualify as an estate agent. “We have seen an increasing number of applicants from different career backgrounds; eager to retrain in order to become a certified estate agent”, Cany said. “To meet the demand, the company has introduced in-depth training courses and management programs, which have proven particularly successful with female applicants. 62% of women who tried to change careers succeeded in comparison to 48% of men.”

Sextant’s wish to help women enter the estate agency sector is also driven by a previous study from Social Research Institute IPSOS. The findings reveal that 81% of French people think that women take more time to listen and give clients advice. 78% say that a woman is more likely to find a rare property, whilst 60% believe that a woman is more capable of showing clients the potential of a home.

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