Do Women Who Work in the Real Estate Industry Face a Glass Ceiling?
There's a rumor that the National Association of Realtors is taking a long look at this issue. The issue was discussed in some detail on Friday afternoon, at the NAR Equal Opportunity - Cultural Diversity Committee meeting.
According to more than one source, NAR is looking into claims that women in real estate do not have the same leadership opportunities as men do. It has been suggested that women face resistance in leadership roles within the industry. In the eyes of some observers, positions such as NAR President and other top leadership roles appear to be more often dominated by men.
The discussion at the National Association of Realtors Equal Opportunity - Cultural Diversity Committee meeting this past week was a lively one. Commenters pointed out that candidates for NAR President begin their campaigns many years in advance. Such campaigns are increasingly expensive and are often assembled by large public relations firms.
There were examples of those campaigns on display in the foyer and hallways of the Anaheim Convention Center Mariott Hotel last week. One such conspicuously displayed ad was for the 2016 NAR President position. The ad depicts one of the candidates charging towards the camera in a quarterback-style stance, looking something like a life-sized athlete (sporting a crewcut and wearing a suit & tie) on a cereal box. A member of the Equal Op Committee commented wryly that the message is supposed to communicate, "I'm dynamic and energetic, vote for me!"
Expect to hear more debate about the subject of equal opportunity for women in the Realtor leadership community at the upcoming NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings in the spring of 2012.
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