We’re pleased to launch a new report which identifies and shares the practical steps leading real estate firms are taking to elevate mid-career women into senior leadership roles.
Drawing on evidence submitted by nearly 80 of our members, the report makes eight recommendations for real estate organisations:
1. Enable measurement and accountability
2. Create role models and enhance visibility
3. Identify talent and focus on development
4. Demystify progression
5. Support caregiving and continuity
6. Develop career advocates
7. Prioritise manager training and feedback
8. Foster cultural inclusion
The report is an exclusive benefit for REB members. If you work for one of our members, you can request a copy of the Toolkit by clicking on the Contact button below in the footer and filling out the short form.
With successive Real Estate Balance surveys showing that, despite the efforts many are making in this area, the lack of women in executive roles remains a stubborn issue across UK real estate, a group of industry leaders and professionals joined together to examine why.
Recognising that there’s no magic bullet or off-the-shelf solution for this issue, but also that many of our members are leaders in this space, the report is designed to highlight the steps organisations are taking to create real change and showcase the practical actions that work.
Co-chaired by Mary Edmunds, Senior Managing Director for HR at Hines and Melanie Collett, formerly Head of Investment Implementation at Aviva Investors, we issued a call for evidence to our 135+ members in December 2025.
55 real estate leaders (47% women, 53% men) provided verbal feedback on the three study questions at one of our CEO Breakfasts in January 2026, while 25 of our member organisations submitted written evidence in the form of reports, quotes and case studies.
The evidence submitted by the industry organisations leading the way – including the likes of British Land, CBRE and Landsec – was distilled into the eight best practice recommendations, which are to be shared across our membership and beyond.
The study was supported by a panel of our members who have been collectively working to support mid-career women in our industry and help them progress into senior leadership roles.
Because our aim is for this research to support ongoing progress across the real estate industry, we will be issuing a number of supplementary resources, including:
• an Executive Summary of the report designed for CEOs and middle managers;
• a summary of member case studies highlighting their best practice;
• a crib sheet for mid-career women outlining the proactive steps they can take to progress their career.
These resources will be available on our website in the coming months – follow along on LinkedIn so you don’t miss all the latest news and updates.
We’d like to thank all our members that participated in this study.
