COMMENT “Hamish, do you mind running this iPad across the West End? The meeting starts in five minutes and I know black people are fast.”
As a young black surveyor in the industry I tolerated comments like this. The more transparent racism I had encountered in the past was replaced by microaggressions: subtle but offensive comments directed at a minority, often unintentionally or unconsciously reinforcing a stereotype.
“Hamish I get you, I know where you have come from, I’m sure you have always been above average, but only because you have been surrounded by below average people, and here that is no longer the case.” This individual knew nothing about my classic middle-class background.
These damaging stereotypes are embedded within society. From an early age we are all exposed to the media portrayal of black men as criminals, and we are rarely shown the stories of black excellence outside music or sport. This conditioning undoubtedly results in conscious and unconscious biases that are impacting how black professionals are perceived and evaluated.
“Hamish, nice dinner jacket. I nearly mistook you for a waiter.” It is hard to explain how disturbing it feels to be black at industry events where the only other black people are serving champagne or canapés. It is a stark visual reminder of the scale of inequality that still exists today.
And so far I’ve been silent about this.
I’m speaking out now because it’s not enough to just be a black man in real estate. I have loved working in this industry, and I want to use my position to help change it for the better, including what it’s like for black people. As a first step, I hope sharing my experiences contributes to the conversation.
Prior to university I had no idea careers in commercial real estate existed. If we consider the demographic of the industry it is easy to see why few young black children know anything about it
Some think of institutional racism as an American problem yet I see it every day in the disparities that exist between black and white people in terms of economic opportunity, criminal justice, political power and education. The real estate industry is no different.
Prior to university I had no idea careers in commercial real estate existed. If we consider the demographic of the industry it is easy to see why few young black children know anything about it. At university lots of my white friends had been educated at top schools that provided a framework for success that I had never been exposed to. It is my experience that if you are born black in this country society expects less of you and offers less to you.
Many of my friends inherited valuable networks through their families and added to these through their years in education. I noticed the quality of the work experience they had gained from an early age. Often when I asked how they had first got their foot in the door, the answer was through a family contact or a school friend. The power of your network is huge, and a history of oppression has deprived black people of the opportunity to develop these to the same extent. It is very possible to have a successful career in real estate without prior connections, but you are at a disadvantage; real estate is still a people business, and who you know matters.
It is easy to be seduced by the prevailing narrative that we live in a meritocracy – if you are willing to work hard enough you will get what you deserve. While there is some truth in that, the reality is, when considering a career in property, black people are simply not lining up on the same starting line. The black people who build a career in this industry do so despite institutional racism, not in its absence.
As an industry we need to change how we recruit. If we only attend university careers fairs, we already exclude the talented black students who are not reaching that stage
While my personal experiences may come as a surprise to some, they will be all too familiar to people of colour. The brutal murder of George Floyd has sparked a worldwide conversation on racial injustice. Now it is time for action.
As an industry we need to change how we recruit. If we only attend university careers fairs, we already exclude the talented black students who are not reaching that stage. Businesses in real estate need to proactively engage with young black students to showcase what the industry has to offer and, importantly, provide a framework that inspires and removes the barriers to entry.
On an individual level you can start by further educating yourself and then educate the people around you. This can be uncomfortable as it involves questioning your own biases. Do not underestimate the power individuals have to enact change; it only takes one person to make a difference, and being quietly supportive is not enough. We all need to loudly call out racism of all forms. Silence is complicity. We all need to take action.
At my current company we have put together a plan of immediate steps we can take to begin to drive lasting change, including launching “a day of change” where each employee has a day off to participate in direct action that contributes to furthering the movement toward racial justice and equality. I hope that, alongside the statements of solidarity, real estate businesses are thinking deeply about how to take action and drive change. A more inclusive industry should be the goal we all have, and it can’t happen soon enough.
Hamish Dupree is head of London markets at WiredScore
