We are very pleased to share the results of our NextGen Survey 2025, launched at a roundtable event kindly hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.
Taking place every two years and now in its fourth edition, the survey researches the views and experiences of industry professionals aged under 35 or those within the first 10 years of their real estate or real estate-related career.
It is designed and undertaken by the Real Estate Balance NextGen Committee of up-and-coming professionals and captures insights on issues including access to opportunities, workplace conduct, and belonging and culture.
Download the full NextGen Survey 2025 findings booklet here.
More than 460 industry professionals completed the survey this year – the most respondents ever and up 25% from the previous survey in 2023.
While the questions remained similar to enable comparison of data and help measure progress over time – including questions on age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social background, accessing the industry, professional development opportunities and inappropriate workplace behaviours – for the first time, this year’s survey also included questions on the impact of AI.
Overall, the results reveal that good progress is being made on issues affecting early career professionals, with fewer instances of inappropriate attitudes and behaviours being witnessed or experienced and strong optimism around the impact of emerging technologies.
However, industry-wide progress in widening access to real estate roles – which has shown a continuous positive trend since 2020 – appears to have stalled in 2025.
Read coverage on the NextGen Survey 2025 in Green Street News here. You can also read our Managing Director Sue Brown’s reflections on the findings in Property Week here.
The key findings include:
- 74% of respondents said they first heard about career opportunities in real estate by chance/via a family member or friend – reflecting a negative trend for the first time in five years: in 2020 this was 84%, in 2022 it was 80% and in 2023 it was 70%.
- When asked how to widen access to real estate, the most popular responses were a greater emphasis on raising industry awareness at school level (69%); more general awareness raising by companies working together collaboratively to promote the careers and routes into the industry (65%); and more apprenticeship schemes (49%).
- When asked about the overall impact AI will have on their career prospects, only 13% said they feel pessimistic or very pessimistic, with more than 55% feeling either optimistic or very optimistic.
- 33% said AI is changing the way they work either significantly or completely, while 83% said they feel fairly or very well prepared to use AI tools.
- Inappropriate attitudes and behaviours are down across the board in 2025, with lower numbers of people experiencing them across the eight categories we ask about: ableism, ageism, classism, homophobia, racism, sexism, stigma around mental health and transphobia.
- In both our 2021 and 2023 surveys, 36% of respondents said they witnessed no inappropriate attitudes and behaviours across any of these eight categories. In 2025, that figure jumped to 53% – an improvement of nearly a third – suggesting real progress is being made in tackling these issues.
- The way inappropriate attitudes and behaviours are being dealt with is getting better, with 40% saying they have seen an improvement in this area over the last 12 months. However, another 40% said they didn’t know if things are improving, suggesting more clarity is needed in how policies and their consequences are being communicated across organisations.
- The percentage of respondents feeling supported in the workplace fell in all of the eight categories included in the research compared with the results in 2023.
Commenting on the NextGen survey findings, our Managing Director Sue Brown, said:
“The results are absolutely fascinating – and I’m delighted to say broadly positive. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to take part. While AI is clearly not the threat to NextGen it is often presumed to be, it’s also clear that senior leaders need to take it more seriously and carefully consider how their people are using it. I was also pleased to see instances of inappropriate behaviour coming down across all categories and an improvement in the way these behaviours are being dealt with. However, we need to keep highlighting the importance of issues like widening access to our industry so we don’t lose momentum.”
NextGen Committee Co-Chair Elizabeth Collin, Head of Marketing at Davitt Jones Bould, said:
“Widening access and tackling barriers to entry is one area we really need to keep our foot on the gas. As an industry, we are responsible for addressing some of today’s most important social and environmental challenges – from the housing crisis and future of our high streets and town centres, to decarbonisation and what to do with green and grey belt land. To ensure decisions are made that reflect and benefit the whole of society, we need to have a diversity of people in post. This data helps us identify where the barriers and blind spots are so we can work together to remove them.”
NextGen Committee Co-Chair Jasmine Ceccarelli-Drewry, Director of Place Advisory at Avison Young, said:
“The results show that AI is providing the kind of ‘check and challenge’ feedback that would previously have come via colleagues in traditional office settings. This could make AI a great equaliser – but there is still uncertainty for how well it is being utilised and understood. While NextGen clearly see the possibilities of AI, the industry needs to be much more proactive and have clear policies on this – leaving its use to peoples’ own discretion simply won’t work and this comes with a considerable level of risk.”
NextGen Committee Co-Chair Kevin Boakye, Talent and Culture Specialist at Hines, said:
“The fact that we’ve seen a wholesale reduction in inappropriate attitudes and behaviours since the last survey not only gives me cause for optimism, but reflects the important work that the NextGen Committee, Real Estate Balance and our members are doing day in, day out. The results show that together we can make a difference and drive the industry forward. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this important movement.”
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s research. Your voices will shape Real Estate Balance and our NextGen Committee’s work and impact our industry.
