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.
Association of Real Estate Funds
AREF is the main UK trade association representing the real estate funds sector. Its members include real estate fund managers (large and boutique) as well as advisers, service providers and investors. It performs key roles for its members and the wider real estate funds sector, including relating to governance and standards, data and benchmarking, representation and advocacy and knowledge sharing and networking.
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.
CREFCE Europe
The trade association for the commercial real estate finance industry across Europe. Its mission is to promote liquid, transparent, and sustainable real estate debt markets to benefit both its members and the broader real estate sector and economy. Through conferences, working groups and forums, CREFC Europe facilitates collaboration, knowledge exchange and networking among lenders, investors, advisors and other stakeholders.
CREW UK
The UK chapter of CREW Network, a global organisation transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women. They are a diverse, multi-disciplinary and inclusive community, open to all regardless of gender, with a mission to accelerate the success of women in commercial real estate through thought leadership, career outreach, events, networking and professional development.
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.
GAIN
The mission of Girls Are Investors, or GAIN, is to inspire and empower the next generation of women and non-binary investment professionals by providing a platform for learning, career development and networking. Since launching in 2019, the organisation has reached more than 50,000 students and placed more than 500 interns at investment firms. It also facilitates innovative competitions and challenges aimed at education providers and individuals, and provides bursaries for students from low-income backgrounds and more.
Girls Under Construction
An information platform, resource hub and connected community, the organisation aims to empower young women aged 16–25 to thrive in the construction and built environment sector. They host various educational and inspiring activities from events to workshops, programmes, insight days and resources to practically support the women in their network as they journey down their career paths.
Investment Property Forum
IPF is a UK professional association for people working in commercial property investment – including fund managers, investment agents, bankers, lawyers, academics, valuers and many others across the investment ecosystem. Through seminars, member-only events, webinars and online publications, IPF provides education, guidance and market insight for its members. It also offers a space for investment professionals to meet, exchange ideas, challenge thinking and raise awareness about issues affecting the property investment market.
London Property Alliance
The London Property Alliance brings together the Westminster Property Association and the City Property Association to provide a unified voice for owners, developers, investors and professional advisors of real estate across the City, the West End and neighbouring districts, and represents more than 420 WPA and CPA member organisations on joint campaigns, thought leadership, research and policy representations.
Property Litigation Association
The PLA is a UK-wide professional association representing solicitors and barristers specialising in all aspects of property dispute resolution. Its purpose is to promote best practice, improve standards in property litigation, and encourage the efficient, fair and effective resolution of disputes involving commercial and residential property. The PLA provides training, guidance, networking and thought leadership for its members, and works collaboratively with the judiciary, government and other industry bodies to help shape policy and improve the functioning of the property courts system.
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.
Real Estate Women
RE:Women is a network connecting real estate professionals to create an equitable, inclusive and resilient real estate industry. Founded in 2012, its mission isto enhance the understanding and efficiency of the built environment through events and roundtables that debate diversity and inclusion in real estate and byproviding training opportunities to enhance its members’ skills and career prospects and opportunities for networking.
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.
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
The UK professional body for town and spatial planners, representing members working across the public, private and third sectors. It promotes high standards in planning practice, accredits planning education, and provides training, research and policy guidance to support sustainable and inclusive place-making. The RTPI also plays a major advocacy role, engaging with government and stakeholders to influence planning policy and champion the value of good planning in shaping in the built environment.
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.
RREF / 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.
Urban Land Institute
A global, non-profit dedicated to responsible land use and the creation of sustainable, thriving communities. With members across the real estate value chain, ULI provides research, best-practice guidance and a platform for knowledge sharing. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment by promoting excellence, innovation and long-term thinking in land use, development and urban planning. ULI Europe, including its UK National Council, delivers local programmes, leadership initiatives, advisory services and thought-leadership designed to inspire better cities and better real estate outcomes.
Women in Property
Women in Property aim to create opportunities, expand knowledge and inspire change for women working in the property and construction industry. They believe that success and its rewards should be founded on merit and expertise, rather than gender and actively seek an industry that is balanced, diverse and inclusive by inspiring young women to seek a career in the built environment sector and supporting those in ‘mid-career’ and at board level.