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Sign upWidening access to real estate and supporting industry participants
A key focus for the Real Estate Balance NextGen Committee is highlighting the organisations working to diversify the talent pipeline entering UK real estate and its associated sectors — with the long-term goal of building an industry that provides opportunities all across the communities we are part of.
In autumn 2024, the Committee organised a showcase, kindly hosted by The Crown Estate, to connect organisations that:
- Promote the wide range of careers available in our industry, and
- Provide support to individuals once they’ve joined the sector
with representatives from across the Real Estate Balance membership. An online version of the showcase followed in spring 2025.
Click the links below to learn more about the organisations that participated in the showcases, as well as others that are part of Real Estate Balance networks.
2-3 Degrees
A social enterprise that aims to inspire and equip young people with the personal development skills needed to fulfil their potential. By delivering fun, engaging and dynamic workshops and programmes, they help young people become the best version of themselves, and have worked with over 10,000 young people since 2016.
AbilityRE
The organisation aims to drive inclusivity within the real estate and built environment by increasing awareness and creating opportunities for people of all abilities. AbilityRE also provide a support network for individuals with a disability, neurodiversity, mental ill-health or long-term health conditions and allies thereof.
AccessAble
A world leader in the provision of accessibility information, AccessAble provides access guides to over 70,000 venues in 17 countries and is used by more than six million people per year. They also support 460+ companies in improving and communicating their access in and around their buildings and services, providing valuable data and actionable insight.
Black Women in Real Estate
BWRE aims to bring together black women in the built environment, creating opportunities for upcoming talent and organising workshops for those already in the industry. They believe that as an underrepresented group, black women rarely cross paths in our daily work life, so they create the opportunities for black women to develop supportive networks across the industry.
Breaking Barriers
A specialist refugee employment charity enabling refugees to build new lives. They believe in the power of responsible businesses and welcome refugees into meaningful employment with one-to-one advice and guidance, education, and training. They aim to foster financial independence, purpose and identity through work.
BPIC Network
A longstanding partner of Real Estate Balance, the Black Professions in Construction Network serves as a membership organisation and promotes inclusive best practices. More than 100 companies and 10,000 individuals are part of the Network, which also promotes collaboration to create new pipelines for talent into the industry.
British Property Federation
The association for the UK real estate sector, the BPF's mission is to promote a diverse and successful industry. They work with local and national governments to enable our industry to thrive, to support the millions of savers invested in UK real estate, and to maximise the contribution of our industry to productive and sustainable communities.
Building People
The Building People mission is to improve representation across the built environment by enabling and empowering a collaborative movement for inclusive change by bringing people, needs and organisations together, enabling joined-up connections to resources and opportunities and simplifying access to careers in our industry.
Construction Youth Trust
A national charity to inspire and enable young people to overcome barriers and achieve their full career potential. They connect young people with employers and opportunities in the construction and built environment sector. Social mobility is at the heart of the work, with priority given to working with young people from low-income backgrounds, underrepresented groups and/or those who are facing significant barriers to employment.
Diversity Talks Real Estate
DTRE aims to increase the visibility of underrepresented groups in the European built environment industry, with a particular focus on women and ethnic minority professionals, through its speaker platform and training sessions in areas including chairing panels, public speaking, pitching and personal branding. Real Estate Balance members also receive a discount on their courses.
Drive Forward
A UK charity founded in 1993 which works with vulnerable children and young people and care leavers in particular. They provide employment training and personal development programmes alongside practical and emotional support to care leavers, helping them develop key skills, confidence and motivation for work, education or training.
Freehold
The leading networking forum for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender professionals and allies working within the real estate sector. Since 2011, the group has grown to over 1,100 members and continues to expand and welcome active allies, with a mission to create a safe, fun network that supports LGBTQ+ people in the built environment.
Purple
Founder Mike Adams OBE believes the way to address inequality for disabled people is to show the value they bring and can sustain as consumers and employees. Purple are the creators of the internationally acclaimed Purple Tuesday initiative, and work with 6,500 organisations across seven countries to drive improvements to the customer experience for disabled people and their families.
Regeneration Brainery
A national social mobility programme for brilliant young minds, they are an award-winning not-for-profit that is boosting diversity, increasing job awareness, combatting the lack of effective work experience, and helping overcome the skills shortage in the property industry. They offer 14-21 year olds in-depth insights into the industry, hands-on work experience and opportunities to forge links with leading industry mentors.
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
A professional body working in the public interest to advance knowledge, uphold standards, and inspire current and future professionals with a heritage of over 150 years and 130,000 members and candidates operating in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure across more than 140 countries globally.
Roots Inspire
A leadership development platform by ethnic corporate leaders for ethnic leadership talent, their mission is to increase ethnic diversity in corporate leadership positions. Their programmes utilise the guidance of inspiring role models through mentorship, workshops and group sessions while working with current leaders through a guided sponsorship programme.
REEF / Pathways to Property
The Reading Real Estate Foundation at Henley Business School, University of Reading, runs the Pathways to Property initiative supported by leading real estate firms and charitable trusts and individuals. Through fully-funded activities such as an annual Summer School, Insight Days and an Open Online Course, they bring together students, teachers and the industry to find the next generation of property professionals.
SEO London
A UK-registered charity delivering high quality educational, training, and mentoring support to young people from low socioeconomic and ethnic minority backgrounds to set them up for long-term success in various competitive global industries, including real estate and its associated sectors.
Smart Works
An innovative initiative to empower unemployed women with the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to succeed at job interviews and transform their lives. They have 12 centres across England and Scotland and women are referred to them from job centres, refuges, the prison system, homeless shelters and mental health charities, and have supported more than 40,000 women to date.
The Land Collective
Founded in 2017 as a student-led blog, The Land Collective began as a platform where students could explore, learn, and share insights about the built environment. Today, they are dedicated to creating equitable opportunities in real estate for young people from underrepresented backgrounds, with a mission to break down barriers, open doors, and reshape the industry to reflect the diversity of the communities it is part of.